South Australia will soon have a new ‘home for basketball’ thanks to a $15 million investment by the Marshall Liberal Government.

The new centre will become the headquarters for the Adelaide Lightning, Basketball SA, SA Country Basketball, SA Church Basketball and SA Wheelchair Basketball.

The State Basketball Centre will be built as an extension to the Wayville Sports Centre, creating 64 jobs through construction, and provide four additional courts including a show court capable of hosting 1,600 people for events.

The new facility will cater for community through to high-performance basketball and see local, district, state and national league teams all training from the same venue.

Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Corey Wingard, said the project is another big win for the state as the Marshall Liberal Government continues to position South Australia as a national and world leader in sport and recreation.

“Over this past year we’ve committed to major infrastructure upgrades which will benefit tennis, soccer, netball, cycling, athletics and lacrosse and it’s fantastic to be able to add basketball to this extensive list,” Minister Wingard said.

“Our State Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Plan recognised the need for an alternative ‘home’ for community basketball and the Adelaide Lightning; specifying a smaller, high-quality boutique show court would be a more appealing prospect for players, spectators and television viewers.

“The additional four courts in the State Basketball Centre will take the Wayville venue to seven courts overall, which will alleviate pressure on local suburban and country basketball courts, meaning more kids will have the opportunity to play basketball and be active.”

Basketball SA CEO Phil Sinnott said the announcement of the development marks a momentous occasion for basketball in South Australia.

“The State Basketball Centre is an important facility for grassroots, community, high-performance and elite level basketball, supporting Basketball SA in its overall facilities development and upgrade strategy,” Mr Sinnott said.

“The development will allow us to expand local and country tournaments, carnivals and high-performance programs.

“We are also excited to have the ability to host national championships and showcase this facility to the rest of Australia.”

The Wayville location was selected for its proximity to the CBD, existing site services and infrastructure, public transport and the newly developed Adelaide Showground caravan park accommodation.

The facility will also provide wider community benefits through collaboration with the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA, who will use the State Basketball Centre during the Royal Adelaide Show each year as they currently do with the Wayville Sports Centre.

The Wayville Sports Centre at the Adelaide Showground is situated on land owned by the Minister for the Department for Environment and Water.

The Adelaide Showground is assigned under a long-term lease to the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA, who lease the Wayville Sports Centre to Basketball SA to manage the facility.

Construction of the facility is anticipated to commence following the completion of the Royal Adelaide Show in 2021.