Heffron Centre Plans Approved
13th April 2021
Construction of a new state-of-the-art community sporting centre, incorporating the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ Community and High-Performance Centre at Heffron Park in Maroubra, is set to commence in mid-2021 following approval of a Development Application by the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel in March. The $58 million Heffron Centre will be built in Maroubra’s Heffron Park replacing the existing run-down 1940s buildings which currently house an Indoor Sports Centre and Gymnastics Centre.
The Heffron Centre will include:
The building will be fully owned by Randwick City Council with lease arrangements in place to the South Sydney Rabbitohs and operators of the indoor sports centre and gymnastics centre. The centre is designed to maximise natural light and ventilation to reduce the use of air conditioning and electricity. It includes rooftop solar panels, rainwater and stormwater collection, bicycle parking and charging infrastructure to ensure the highest quality environmental standards. Randwick Mayor Danny Said explains the Heffron Centre will transform the western precinct of Heffron Park. "This is an important investment in the health and wellbeing of our community. We have designed a facility which is adaptable to cater for the changing needs of our community. You don’t get an opportunity like this very often, to provide a state-of-the-art sporting facility and at the same time deliver social benefits, that tap into the proud and almost spiritual link the Rabbitohs have with our community," explains Mayor Said.
Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly is excited to see the next phase of the project take shape as we head towards completion of the Community and High Performance Centre. "The Heffron Centre has been a long time in the planning and approval stages and it’s fantastic to see the development applications have been approved. We can all move forward to developing a site which Rabbitohs Members and supporters, as well as the local community and Randwick City Council, will be extremely proud of," Mr Solly said. "The Heffron Centre will provide not only brilliant sporting facilities for men’s and women’s teams but it will also provide a platform for Souths Cares to increase the outstanding work they do in the community. It will allow us as a Club to further grow our connection with the people along the south-eastern beaches. The plan is for us to be in the building and operating our football, commercial and administration programs by the end of 2022, well in time for the 2023 pre-season. The Rabbitohs Community and High-Performance Centre will include an NRL-standard field, full gymnasium, men’s and women’s changing rooms, Souths Cares classroom, video theatre, media production studio, merchandise outlet which will incorporate a Rabbitohs historical display and ‘Hall of Fame’-type installation, as well as a café. The facilities will be built for participants of other sports using Heffron Park as their base, as well as Members of the community who will have access to sections of the Community and High Performance Centre including the playing field, conference rooms and the Souths Cares classroom. These facilities will be fantastic and we can’t wait to be part of this activity hub within the local government area of Randwick Council in addition to our current base at Redfern. We will keep our Members and supporters updated throughout the project as we now move from DA, through construction and onto completion."
Randwick Council has called for expressions of interest for operators interested in running the gymnastics centre and indoor community sports centre components of the Heffron Centre. A tender for the construction of the centre is expected to be released shortly by Council seeking applications from construction contractors to build the centre. Subject to appointments, construction is anticipated to commence in mid-2021 and open in late 2022.
Heffron Centre - Construction Begins
29th September 2021
As the South Sydney Rabbitohs prepare to take on the Penrith Panthers in the 2021 NRL Grand Final this weekend, construction has started in Maroubra on a new facility that the club will call home from the start of the 2023 season. The 1908 NRL foundation club is moving from Redfern to their supporter heartland of Maroubra. The new facility, known as the Heffron Centre, will house the Rabbitohs players, training facilities, administration, Souths Cares as well as a dedicated community gymnastics centre and indoor sports centre. The $58M project is a joint initiative of Randwick City Council and the South Sydney Rabbitohs with part funding provided by the NSW State Government ($11.8M) and Federal Government ($10M). The community-focused facility will be a welcome addition to the south-eastern suburbs community providing an opportunity for professional sports to mix with community sports.
Randwick Mayor Danny Said, Souths CEO Blake Solly and the NSW Minister for Sport Natalie Ward welcomed the start of construction. "It’s fantastic to be starting construction on this project just days away from the Rabbitohs appearing in the 2021 NRL Grand Final," says Randwick Mayor Danny Said. "The Heffron Centre will be the Rabbitohs’ new home as well as a dedicated community sporting facility with a new indoor sports centre and gymnastics centre twice the size of the current facilities. The centre has been designed to be a true community space with an open café, memorabilia area, shared internal ‘street’ and this means you’ll have community members mixing with elite athletes," says Mayor Danny Said.
Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly said the club is really excited about the new centre. "First and foremost, it’s going to be a wonderful home to the players, coaching staff and administration staff, but probably more importantly we’re really excited about the fact it’s going to be the new home for Souths Cares. Along with Randwick Council and the State and Federal Governments we’re very keen to ensure this is a project that not only is the club proud of but that the community is proud of too," says Mr Solly.
Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said the new facility will ensure everyone in the local community has the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of sport. "I’m delighted the NSW Government, through our Centres of Excellence Program, is supporting the delivery of world-class multi-purpose sporting facilities," Mrs Ward said. "We know the positive impact that staying active can have on our physical and social wellbeing, so I’m thrilled the Heffron Centre will offer something for everyone, from grassroots through to elite level programs." Construction of the Heffron Centre will generate 200 jobs and more than 60 ongoing jobs through the operation of the facility. The community gymnastics facility will be able to operate seven days a week up to 10pm and includes state-of-the-art facilities including a dedicated gymnastics zone showcasing community history, awards and memories. The indoor sports centre will also operate seven days a week up to 10pm with two multi-purpose sports halls to accommodate sports such as netball, basketball, badminton, volleyball and futsal. The Heffron Centre is being built by head builder ADCO and will be fully owned by Randwick City Council with lease arrangements in place to the South Sydney Rabbitohs and to Belgravia Leisure to operate the indoor sports centre and gymnastics centre. The centre is expected to open in late 2022 and in time for the 2023 NRL season.
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