AFL HIGH PERFORMANCE CENTRE – KINGBOROUGH SPORTS PRECINCT

The establishment of the Tasmania Devils High Performance Centre will deliver a range of benefits for the Kingborough community:

Stronger Community Connection with the AFL:

The project will strengthen the relationship between Tasmania Devils Football Club  and the Kingborough community, providing more opportunities for local engagement and support for Tasmania’s AFL Club.

Enhanced Sporting Precinct

The new centre will position Kingston as a key destination for elite sport in Tasmania. It will complement existing infrastructure, including the Tasmanian JackJumpers High-Performance Training Centre, and contribute to the development of a dynamic, integrated sports precinct.

Improved Facilities for Junior Sports

The project will deliver upgraded playing facilities, allowing the Kingborough Knights’ juniors teams to play their home games locally eliminating the need to travel to Brighton and supporting greater participation.

Youth Development and Inspiration

Located close to Kingston High School, the centre will give young athletes exposure to elite-level training environments, inspiring future sporting aspirations and offering new development pathways for local youth.

Tasmania Academy of Leadership and Sport

Tasmania Academy of Leadership and Sport is an education arm of Tasmania Football Club.  It is a collaboration between TasTafe, Tasmanian Jackjumpers, Cricket Tasmania and Netball Tasmania currently offering a dual diploma accredited course, and with intentions to expand into further offerings as the Club grows. The Academy will have their classroom learning based out of the High Performance Centre.

The Tasmania Devils Football Club High Performance Centre (HPC) will be the home of the Tasmania Football Club (also known as ‘Tasmania Devils’) and will play a critical role in setting the Club up for success from the outset. It is the headquarters of the Club and the base for a variety of community and other complementary activities. It is where all off-field and on-field staff work day-to-day. It is the location where the Club’s athletes prepare and train to compete.

The Tigers FC will relocate to the newly developed site located above the Twin Ovals (location see Masterplan illustration – key #3). This area will feature a new oval, clubroom and changing facilities. The ground will be shared with the Devils and will serve as the Tigers’ primary venue for both training and matches throughout the year. During the winter season, the Tigers will also have access to the two cricket ovals to play and train on. (see Masterplan illustration – key #15 & 19)

The existing cricket oval will remain the home ground for the Knights, complete with a turf centre wicket and turf practice wickets (location please see Masterplan illustration – key #15). The current pavilion will continue to serve as the Knights’ clubroom base. The newly developed oval below the Twin Ovals (location see Masterplan illustration – key #19) will also feature a turf centre wicket and will be available for women’s, lower grade men’s and junior matches hosted by the Knights.

The Devils will have exclusive use of the existing AFL oval and will also share the newly developed oval (key #3) above the Twin Ovals with the Tigers (location please see Masterplan illustration – key #7).

The Tasmania Devils Football Club High Performance Training Centre will be constructed on the western side of the existing Kingborough Tigers football oval, with the access road and car parking occupying the currently vacant space beneath the Kingston Tennis Club (location please see Masterplan illustration – key # 8 & # 9).

The Tasmania Devils sometimes refer to the HPC as a training an administration centre (T&A) – is there any difference between them? No, they are the same thing. They are just referred to by different names.

The development of the new football oval will require the relocation of the current dog off-lead exercise area. Council is working closely with the Kingborough Dog Walking Association (KDWA) to identify and secure a suitable alternative that continues to support the needs of local dog owners. This collaborative approach aims to ensure a smooth and well-communicated transition before any changes to the existing site take place. Once the replacement off-lead site has been identified, under Tasmanian law (the Dog Control Act 2000) Council is required to run a community consultation which will invite public submissions on the proposed new area.

In addition to the new site, dog owners will continue to enjoy access to a wide range of spaces across the region, with 14 designated dog exercise areas available throughout Kingborough. The off-lead area will not be closed before January 2026.

Community Engagement open for Dog Management Policy Update:

Kingborough Council is currently inviting community members to share their views on a proposed off-lead dog area in Kingston and a dedicated dog training space in Margate. Please see ENGAGEMENT PAGE

The development of the new cricket oval (location see Masterplan illustration – key # 19) will require the relocation of the Southern Obedience Club. Council is working closely with the Club’s Board to identify and secure a new location that continues to meet the needs of its members. This collaborative approach aims to ensure a smooth and well-communicated transition before any changes to the existing site take place.

Community Engagement open for Dog Management Policy Update:

Kingborough Council is currently inviting community members to share their views on a proposed off-lead dog area in Kingston and a dedicated dog training space in Margate. Please see ENGAGEMENT PAGE

The addition of the Tasmania Devls Footall Club High Performance Centre (HPC), along with increasing use of the Kingborough Sports Precinct by clubs, schools, and event organisers, is expected to bring more cars to the area, particularly during peak periods.  To help address this, additional car parking has been incorporated into the precinct development, with new parking areas planned near key facilities (see Masterplan illustration – key #1, #10, #11, #12, #16 and #22). Some carparks like #10 and #11 will be only for HPC use. A total of 190 new parking spaces will be created as part of this upgrade, along with sealing the existing gravel carpark at Gormley Park which will allow for more efficient use of this space. These new spaces are designed to support the anticipated increase in activity from the HPC. Council acknowledges that the existing parking availability within the Precinct is limited and whilst the additional parking will provide increased capacity, it won’t fully resolve the demand issues experienced during the busiest periods.

The Mountain Bike Park and Pump Track will be rebuilt within the precinct (location see Masterplan illustration – key # 32, 33 & 34). The new facilities will match the current ones in quality and function and will continue to meet the needs of users. The Mountain Bike Park will be offline for approximately 2 years. This will not be before March 2026. A public consultation on the design of the new Mountain Bike Park will be undertaken to ensure community feedback is considered.

DROP IN SESSION:

Council is hosting a drop-in session for the community to learn about changes coming to the Kingston Mountain Bike Park.

WHERE: 10 Kingston View Drive, Kingston at the Kingston Mountain Bike Park

WHEN: Tuesday, 9 December 5:30pm – 6:30pm

The project includes several upgrades to improve traffic flow, usability and safety throughout the precinct. Gormley Drive will be sealed, with kerb and gutter works and a new footpath to support safe pedestrian access. New carparks will be constructed to support the use of the AFL High Performance Centre and the two new ovals, as well as to improve overall access and efficiency. Traffic Impact Assessments have been undertaken to help guide these improvements and ensure they meet the needs of the community.

While upgrades to Gormley Drive and parking associated with the oval will be undertaken through the project, any improvements to the Gormley Park athletics track (location see Masterplan illustration – key #20, 21 & 22) itself are not included within the scope of works for this project.

Aside from the user groups already discussed, who are working collaboratively with Council to ensure their needs are met, there will be no direct impact on other user groups within the precinct. Construction activity may require temporary traffic management measures. Council will provide regular updates to the community as the project progresses, including any changes that may affect access to the area.

Council is working closely with directly impacted user groups to ensure their needs are understood and supported throughout the project. For most other precinct users, there will be no direct disruption. However, temporary traffic management measures may be required during construction. Council will continue to keep the community informed with regular updates, including any changes that may affect access to the area.

The Tasmania Devils Football Club HPC facility is the Club’s workplace. It is expected that a number of community activities will be available within the HPC facility out of hours and when not in use by the Club.

As a condition of Council’s support for this project, a commitment to fund the connection of Spring Farm Road to Kingston View Drive by the State Government was required. Whilst this won’t form part of the package of works associated with the HPC build, it is a requirement that Council expects to be upheld.

Council is committed to protecting our natural environment while supporting the Tasmanian Government’s development of new AFL infrastructure at the Kingborough Sports Precinct.

The new ovals, buildings and road upgrades are predominantly occurring on cleared land, however, there is some native vegetation within the precinct site.  As we value the contribution trees make to the health of urban landscapes, Council has designed the work to minimise the impact on to mature trees as much as possible. We have undertaken assessment of the natural values at the site as well as arborist assessments which details the location and health of trees within the precinct.

These assessments helped us design the infrastructure to have the lowest impact possible. Once construction gets underway, the works will be guided by a comprehensive Construction Environmental Management Plan and monitored by Environmental Staff to ensure possible impacts on natural areas are carefully managed.

Gormley Drive will be sealed, along with curb and guttering, footpath, street lighting and formalised car parking.