Huge boost for little athletics club

Work on a $4 million upgrade to Deception Bay Little Athletics centre is expected to get under way within weeks.

It follows approval of $700,000 funding from Moreton Bay City Council to revamp the track and field facilities at Zammit Oval.

The Queensland Government has committed $1,880,938 and Federal Government $1,500,000 to the sports centre upgrades.

Council says construction is expected to begin mid-year with completion in late 2025 and will include:

• an upgraded 400m eight-lane laser levelled grass athletics track;
• a two-lane synthetic long jump / triple jump runway, with 2.5m width pit at each end;
• two turf shot put circles and cages;
• a synthetic shot put circle;
• a turf discus circle and cage;
• a synthetic discus / hammer throw circle and cage;
• a synthetic activity area for two high jump landing mats;
• a synthetic pole vault runway and landing mat;
• a synthetic javelin runway;
• a turf javelin runway;
• pedestrian pathways; and
• perimeter fencing.

“Glad to see this come to fruition,” Mayor Peter Flannery said in a recent Council meeting, “I’m sure it is going to be used well in the lead-up to the Olympics and Paralympics.

“In the lead up to Brisbane 2032, we want to inspire young athletes to aim big, improve their skills, or to simply give athletics a go.

“The facility will allow our community to do that and increase the quality and safety of athletics programs for Deception Bay Little Athletics and others using the facility.”

Councillor Mark Booth (Div 2) said he is “eager to see the positive impact this upgrade will have on Little Athletics and wider community”.

“We have great homegrown talent in our City, like Olympic sprinter Ella Connolly, who first trained here and is someone our young people can look up to,” he said.

Connolly was part of the Australian 4x400m relay team which won a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in China.

Liam Adcock, who won a long jump bronze medal for Australia at the championships, also trained in Deception Bay for a short time.

Former national decathlon champion Jason Dudley, who won a Commonwealth bronze medal in 2006 was also with Deception Bay Little Athletics.

Mayor Flannery acknowledged former Federal Member for Petrie Luke Howarth and Chris Whiting, the State Member for Bancroft, who supported the project.