Expressions of Interest

New jewel in the crown

- the Blacktown Exercise Sports and Technology Hub

Blacktown City Council issues multiple site development opportunities expressions of interest

.When completed in 2023, the $100 million Blacktown Exercise Sports and Technology (BEST) Hub and Lodge will be the stunning centrepiece of a bold ambition to transform the Blacktown International Sportspark into Australia’s most innovative and integrated sports, health and education precinct.

Exciting new era as Sportspark is re-imagined The 60 hectare Blacktown International Sportspark in the centre of ‘global Sydney’ that began life as a Sydney 2000 Olympic Games training and competition venue, is now being reimagined from the grassroots up.

In recognising the importance of being a healthy, active and sporting city, and the motivational power of physical activity to change lives for the better, Blacktown City Council saw a unique opportunity to shape a bold and inclusive future for the Sportspark.

Game changing investments When complete in 2023, the Blacktown Exercise, Sports and Technology hub (BEST) will bring together allied health, sports medicine, rehabilitation services and training facilities to push the boundaries of health care, education and sporting performance. The services will be underpinned by practise informed research and higher education.

As the Mayor of Blacktown, Tony Bleasdale OAM, recently noted, “BEST will deliver world class facilities and will take community health and sport innovation to a new level. These transformational projects are a source of much excitement in our city.”

Neil Gibson, Precinct Director Blacktown International Sportspark, added “our partners share our vision for the project and continue to push the project team to deliver a building that is transformational not just in its design but in how it delivers healthcare for the community.”

Innovation will be led by the BEST partners, Blacktown City Council, the Australian Catholic University (ACU), Sydney West Sports Medicine and WentWest, along with the teams and organisations that call the Sportspark home. Australian Catholic University will conduct teaching and research activities within the BEST hub principally focusing on sport and exercise science. Their facilities include Physiology and Biomechanics laboratories, an environmental chamber and a 60 metre gait analysis track. Sydney West Sports Medicine will operate a sports medicine clinic within the BEST hub offering a range of services including exercise physiology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy within a bespoke clinic space. WentWest are the Western Sydney primary healthcare network and in the BEST hub will deliver a neighbourhood health hub providing a range of services and initiatives around public health and medicine.

As WentWest Chief Executive, Ray Messom explains “BEST is really a beacon on the hill. It provides access to new models of care, new research, and innovations that Blacktown City just wouldn’t have otherwise. One of the ambitions that WentWest has for Western Sydney is that it is internationally known for being a centre of excellence.”

AFL as a partner in the BEST Hub, and one of the primary sports codes at the Blacktown International Sportspark, sees significant upside for the sport.

Tiffany Robinson, Head of AFL, NSW and ACT, commented “we welcome the Council’s significant investment into the Sportspark as it will benefit our AFL community from our youngest Auskickers through to our talent pathway athletes.”

Dr Dean McNamara, Director Sydney West Sports Medicine advises “our practice is a sports medicine inspired model of health care where we link physiotherapists, exercise physiologists all the way through to sports doctors. At the BEST Hub, we see ourselves fitting right in the middle of WentWest and ACU as a place where we can provide community health, all the way through to professional sport research and development with ACU.” Facilities within the Sydney West Sports Medicine include: • Multi-disciplinary treatment rooms • Biomechanics and Physiology laboratories • Strength and conditioning gym • Aquatic recovery centre • Environmental chamber • Meeting rooms • Auditorium and function space

New amenities and access for all Blacktown City Council will operate the strength and conditioning gym, aquatic recovery centre, meeting rooms and auditorium. Outdoor facilities include a rectangular synthetic pitch and large-scale physical literacy area, a space where people of all ages can benefit from being physically active within a safe environment. The new cafe will be the perfect place for a pre- or post-game catch up with friends, a pit-stop on a family cycle or walking adventure and will offer a healthy mix of snacks, meals and drinks. A new shared user path will connect the Sportspark to Rooty Hill in the west and Charlie Bali reserve in the east. The shared user path will create a 1.3km trail through the Sportspark for cyclists and pedestrians creating a new route for the Great West Walk.

The Lodge Athletes, coaches, friends and family that already come to the Sportspark in their thousands from all over New South Wales and Australia will now have purpose built, affordable and dedicated academy style accommodation with thirty-seven rooms, and a one hundred bed capacity.

$15 million Disability Sports Centre of Excellence Delivering purpose built multi-sports competition and training facilities for disabled athletes is another cornerstone investment in opening the Sportspark to new user groups. The development is a partnership with Disability Sport Australia and will deliver training facilities for a number of disability sporting organisations. The centre, construction for which is scheduled to start in 2023, is being developed with funding from the New South Wales Office of Sport and will be built next to the existing athletics stadium to the west of the Sportspark.

Unique investment and development opportunities

Expressions of Interest (EOI) now open for BEST Stage 2.

With BEST Hub Stage 1 fully leased, Blacktown City Council is now inviting expressions of interest for multiple BEST Stage 2 development areas. There are three developable areas available within the Sportspark with adjacencies to BEST and Eastern Road and range in size from 9445 sqm to 22805 sqm.

The EOI for BEST Hub Stage 2 is a call for complementary opportunities in research and development, medical facilities, health and aged care services, sports technology and gaming, ergonomics, mobility, consumer products, indoor and outdoor sport recreation, entertainment facilities, and retail. BEST Hub Stage 2 will add further synergistic opportunities to bring together sport, health, and education into the one place.

Why invest in BEST Hub Stage 2 and the transformation of the Blacktown International Sportspark? BEST Hub Stage 2 presents an exciting opportunity to: •Leverages growth in sport, health, and education sectors; •Access a fast growing and culturally diverse population in Western Sydney, with Blacktown also being a catchment area for the Hills District; •Co-locate with major partners and sporting codes already invested into the fully occupied BEST Hub Stage 1 and the Sportspark; •Leverage the investment in BEST Hub Stage 1, which is under construction and scheduled for completion in 2023; •Access Eastern Road frontage, which is visible to high numbers of passing traffic; •Access the large visitor and spectator numbers at the Sportspark; • Be close to both Blacktown and Mt Druitt Hospitals; and •Have close proximity, approximately 700m shared path to heavy rail.

EOI participants will be able to inform the precinct development and there will be flexible terms and conditions for development.

To express your interest to invest in BEST Hub Stage 2 at the Blacktown International Sportspark go to: Blacktown.nsw.gov.au/BEST EOI closes 26th October 2022.