More fun to be had soon at Viaduct Park

Viaduct Park just keeps getting better, with work beginning today to install a new 95 metre pump track, a half-court basketball court with multi-purpose line markings and a climbing wall next to the existing skate park and new café now known as ‘The Deck’. Construction is expected to take approximately 4 weeks to complete all three new elements and associated pathways.

These projects were first identified in the Viaduct Park Master Plan, which was adopted by Council in May 2020 with the aim of creating a vibrant recreational and sporting precinct in the centre of Tamworth. The recently constructed café was the first of several new additions to the park.

Council undertook community consultation between 20 August - Sunday 5 September 2021 to ask the community to vote on their favourite design for the new pump track and basketball court. Option 1 was the overall winner, with the community electing to position the new pump track between the existing skate park and the new café, and the half-court basketball court on the far northern side of the park. A freestanding climbing wall surrounded by soft fall will now also be installed next to the half basketball court this month. Identified in the Viaduct Park Master Plan, the installation of this feature has been brought forward due to a reallocation of funding between projects funded under the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

Deputy Prime Minister and Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said the new pump track, basketball court and climbing wall will add another dimension to the fantastic skate park and café at Viaduct Park.

“Viaduct Park is quickly transforming Tamworth, providing a fantastic space for kids, teens and families to use the new recreation facilities,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“The Coalition is committed to making Tamworth and the rest of the New England a safe space for families, and Viaduct Park has become an integral part of that plan.”

Tamworth Region Mayor, Russell Webb said that not only is Council creating a great space for local residents to spend time, but the park’s development is also helping to reinvigorate what used to be the quiet end of Peel Street.
“The plans set out for Viaduct Park in 2020 continue to jump from our imaginations to reality, which is exciting to see,” he said.

The additions to Viaduct Park have been made possible through $280,000 in funding from the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. This program supports local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia, supporting jobs and the resilience of local economies to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through this program, the Tamworth region is benefiting from over $11 million in funding, which is available for local road or community infrastructure projects. From this funding, $180,000 has been invested in the new pump track and half basketball court, with the climbing wall an additional investment of $100,000.

More information about these projects and the Viaduct Park Master Plan can be found at https://haveyoursay.tamworth.nsw.gov.au/viaduct-park-developments