Work is officially underway on the 5,000-metre square Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre, located in the Western Sydney suburb of Camellia, and will set a new standard for sports fans, schools and the community when it opens in March 2022.
The new centre will contain four FIBA basketball courts that house over 21 sports and activities, up to 1,000 spectators with permanent seating for 600 people, a café with seating for 86 people, an outdoor garden style milk bar, multipurpose training rooms, child’s soft play gym and family friendly activity rooms. It will be the new home for West Sydney Wolves Sports Association and Diverse Abilities, a not-for-profit disability organisation dedicated to increasing sports and recreation participation within the special needs community.
The Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre is the combined vision of Ronnie Khalil and Medeya Hamzze, Co-Founders of the West Sydney Wolves and Diverse Abilities.
In a joint statement they said, “The new indoor centre is a win for the Paramatta local government area and for Western Sydney as a whole. After an intense past two years dealing with lockdowns, the Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre will not only offer an outlet for families and members of the community to enjoy a multitude of sports and recreational activities, but on the economical level, a significant amount of money will be injected into the local economy.’’
Billbergia Managing Director and owner John Kinsella AM said: “For us, creating communities means investing in an environment that brings families and community members together, and inspires and promotes healthy, active lifestyles. We’re thrilled to be part of this transformational project for the community of Camellia.”
Minister for Sport Natalie Ward and Member for Parramatta Dr Geoff Lee backed the privately owned stadium.
“The Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre is a win for the community, revolutionising the competitor experience and injecting millions of dollars into the local economy,” Ms Ward said.
Dr Lee said: “The Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre forms part of an unprecedented investment in infrastructure in the area. With improvements to integrated transport links and investment in local cultural facilities, Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre will be an extremely inviting precinct with a multi-use sport centre, outdoor space, indoor activity centre and kids play areas forming part of the project.”
Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre offers a new era of world-class sporting facilities and will change the way community outreach through sports and recreation is viewed. It has been designed to bring the community together in a way that includes people of all age, ability, gender, race and identity, and will be a space for people and families from all walks of life to join under a common interest for physical activity and leisure.
City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Steven Issa said: “It’s exciting to see the Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre come to fruition, in line with our vision to transform Camellia into a vibrant and liveable riverside hub for thousands of new residents and workers on the doorstep of the Parramatta CBD.”
In collaboration with West Sydney Wolves Sports Association, all sports offered at the Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre will also feature modified programs to serve the special needs community via Diverse Abilities, a significant driver and mission for the Billbergia Indoor Sports Centre. Diverse Abilities’ main goal will be to increase engagement and participation in sports and recreation within the special needs community, whilst fostering a sense of empowerment and inclusivity within this group.