Summit Sport and Recreation Park is a multi-purpose community sports facility located in Mount Barker, South Australia. The $23 million complex officially opened in April 2021, and features a turf Australian rules football and cricket oval alongside two synthetic soccer pitches.[1] It is best known for hosting Australian Football League (AFL) matches as part of Gather Round; the AFL refers to the venue as Adelaide Hills (for the nearby region) in its promotional material.[2] The capacity of the main oval is nominally 5,000, which includes a 270-seat undercover grandstand.[3] However, this capacity can be increased to 7,500 during Gather Round via additional temporary seating.[4] The venue is also utilised by State League 2 South Australia club Mount Barker United SC, with annual visits from the Adelaide United youth team.[5]
Adelaide Hills | |
 | |
| Full name | Summit Sport and Recreation Park |
|---|---|
| Address | 304 Springs Road Mount Barker, South Australia Australia |
| Coordinates | 35°4′39.88″S 138°53′33.26″E / 35.0777444°S 138.8925722°E |
| Owner | Mount Barker District Council |
| Operator | Mount Barker District Council |
| Type | Multi-purpose stadium |
| Capacity | Standard: 5,000 (270 seated) Temporary: 7,500 (3,000 seated) |
| Record attendance | 9,337 (AFL round 4, Gold Coast vs. Greater Western Sydney, 7 April 2024) |
| Field size | 160m x 141m (oval) |
| Surface | Grass (oval), artificial turf (rectangular pitches) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 2019 |
| Opened | 29 April 2021 |
| Construction cost | A$23 million |
| Tenants | |
| Mount Barker United (FSA) | |
Background
editIn 2008, the Mount Barker District Council purchased 36 hectares of land on the corner of Bald Hills Road and Springs Road in Mount Barker prior to 2017 to house infrastructure which would support the population growth of the area.[6] In 2014, Council commenced detailed concept designs in collaboration with the South Australian Office for Recreation and Sport. By December 2017, a business case for the proposed Mount Barker Regional Sports Hub had been put forward, with the intention for construction to commence during 2019–20, and the facility to open during 2020–21.[6] In February 2018, the Council appointed landscape architects Oxygen as the design consultant for the facility.[6] Numerous funding announcements were made in the months following, including a $3.75 million promise from the Turnbull government in August 2018 if re-elected.[7]
Planning approval for construction of the site was eventually granted by Council on 7 May 2019. The construction contract was granted to Sarah Constructions in December 2019; initial works began shortly after.[6] The complex was officially opened on 29 April 2021.[8]
References
edit- ^ Hogarth, Dylan (3 October 2023). "Mount Barker Football Club abandons $23m state-of-the-art facility". Adelaide Hills Messenger. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "AFL Venues – Adelaide Hills". AFL.com.au. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Summit Sports Park (Mt Barker Regional Sports Hub)". Austadiums. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Phelan, Jason (4 April 2023). "From Sheep To Sherrins, the Adelaide Hills are alive with AFL". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Adelaide United and Cumberland United are heading to the Hills in Football South Australia 'Saturday at The Summit' showcase event". Football South Australia. 28 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Regional Sports Hub Construction Project History". Mount Barker District Council. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "$3.75 million Mount Barker Regional Sports Hub Announced". Football South Australia. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Football in Mount Barker Set to Flourish". Football South Australia. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
External links
edit- Summit Sport and Recreation Park at Austadiums