Jackies a step closer to performance home

Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff has green-lit the JackJumpers’ plans to build its new high-performance centre in Kingston, as opposed to the original site at Wilkinsons Point.

The announcement has come after JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan issued a statement on Thursday around the desire to move the planned location due to it being in the vicinity in which most of the club’s players live.

The facility is planned to include two courts, a gym, recovery rooms, changing rooms and administration facilities, and will be open for public use when not being utilised by the club.

Rockliff also says the plan to build more community courts in Glenorchy will move forward despite the moving of the high-performance centre.

“The Tasmanian government is willing to progress the JackJumpers preference to build the high-performance centre in Kingston, with the absolute proviso that our commitment to building community courts in the Northern Suburbs is also delivered,” Rockliff said.

“We remain 100 per cent committed to increasing community courts in the Glenorchy municipality.

“The high-performance centre was going to be connected to the indoor multi-sport facility at Wilkinsons Point however, the two projects can stand alone.”

JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan spoke to SEN prior to Rockliff’s announcement, and says everything is ready for once approval to start building is given.

“The whole plan has been ready for some time. We’ve gone into the detail of what equipment is going to go where and we’re ready to go,” Finnegan said.

“Really it is a matter of getting this site sorted, picking up the plan and putting a shovel in the ground to get started.

“We did say to Scott (Roth) when he went off on leave – he’s extremely passionate about this and giving his players a home to train in – we would work very, very hard to get this sorted while he’s away so he’ll come back to some good news.”