First stage of SA Athletics Stadium upgrade complete
Stage 1 of major upgrade works to the SA Athletics Stadium are now complete, with the addition of new lighting and a LED video screen.
The $370,000 LED screen has been installed to provide live vision, results and a scoreboard for major athletics events and National Premier League football matches.
Stage 2 works at the Mile End venue will commence in April following the athletics season, thanks to a $6 million investment from the South Australian Government.
Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Corey Wingard, said the redevelopment of the state’s premier track and field venue is part of a record investment in sporting infrastructure across the state.
“We are cementing SA’s position as a go-to sporting destination by carrying out upgrades on another important sporting venue,” Minister Wingard said.
“Currently, more than 250,000 people utilise the SA Athletics Stadium every year for high-performance training, and hundreds of athletics events, soccer games, school carnivals and sports days. This number is set to increase with the new amenities making South Australia more competitive on the national stage.
“The upgrades will also boost our Game On initiative to get South Australians moving as we know that having access to high quality sporting infrastructure leads to increased participation in physical activity.”
7NEWS has been given an exclusive first look at the $6 million makeover of the SA Athletics Stadium at Mile End. 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm | https://t.co/8ftPfFYTVQ #saparli #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/bjX6PsFNqw
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) January 27, 2022
Works completed in Stage 1 include new stadium lighting, improvements to warm up and throwing facilities, and improved access from warm up to competition areas.
The upgrades will be on show at the first key athletics event of the Australian summer, with the Adelaide Invitational to be hosted at the venue on Saturday, February 12.
Athletics SA CEO Shane Fuller said it was an ideal time for these upgrades to take place, given the increasing interest in athletics.
“Athletics SA is incredibly excited about the new stadium screen that will add a level of engagement for our athletes and supporters that we have not experienced before at the Mile End track,” Mr Fuller said.
“Running/jogging and athletics is the third most popular physical activity in our state, and with demand growing and use of the current facility being high, the investment in track replacement and associated facilities is critical.
“It will provide a safe and fit-for-purpose venue for athletes of all levels – from grassroots to high-performance – and helps open the door for South Australia to attract national athletics events.”
Stage 2 enhancements will include synthetic track replacement, security and access control system upgrades, universal design internal toilet upgrades, new external change room/toilet facilities and carpark upgrades.
This redevelopment forms part of a vision to revitalise the Mile End Sports Precinct, where the new South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) headquarters will be built and further works will be carried out on the Netball SA Stadium.
Construction on the SA Athletics Stadium is expected to be completed by October 2022.
