Horsham District Table Tennis Association welcomes step towards new multi-use indoor stadium

Horsham Rural City Council was due on Monday night to debate the awarding of a tender for a phase one feasibility study into the stadium.

Council director of technical services John Martin recommended to councillors that Insight Leisure Planning be awarded the tender at a cost of $22,000, excluding GST. 

The two-phase study project has a budget of $45,000, of which $30,000 was provided as a grant from Sport and Recreation Victoria.

Mr Pekin said the association had been lobbying for a new facility for many years, not just for table tennis but for other sports.

“The association fully endorses the awarding of the contract for the study so we can move on to the next step and starting building something within the next few years,” Mr Pekin said.

“We’ve had our facility at the Maydale Pavilion at the Horsham Showgrounds since 1963. 

“The facilities are outdated. We have players with disabilities, from schools, from the special school and we have our competitions.”

Mr Pekin said having a new facility would be great for Table Tennis and for other sports in Horsham.

The objectives of the study will be to determine the feasibility of a multi-sports stadium which can meet the needs of the users and provide a facility that can cater for regional scale activities; and develop the functional requirements of such a multi-sports stadium.

Should the tender be awarded, council has set out that Horsham and district sporting groups would be consulted about their needs.