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Grab your bats, gloves and hats – baseball has arrived on the Tweed! The Shire’s newest baseball facilities are complete at Arkinstall Park in Tweed Heads South, making the popular sport accessible for Tweed residents for the first time in many years.
Tweed Shire Council has worked in close partnership with the Northern Rivers Baseball Association to bring this exciting new facility to the Tweed, which consists of two baseball diamonds and training fields.
A total of $325,000 in funding was awarded to the Northern Rivers Baseball Association from the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 5 to complete this facility, with the project completed in July 2024.
The Northern Rivers Baseball Association runs age competitions from 4 to 15 years and includes T-ball, rookie ball, little league, intermediate, junior and senior leagues.
Council’s Manager Parks and Active Communities Murray Smith said the excitement in the baseball community was palpable.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to be able to deliver something completely new for our Tweed community. New baseball diamonds and fields have been on the radar for some time,” Mr Smith said.
“The Northern Rivers Baseball Association has advocated for this facility for many years and applied for the funding, and we are only too pleased to be able to work in partnership with them to make this dream a reality to allow people to now play baseball right here in the Tweed.
“Council is investing heavily in time, energy and funds at Arkinstall Park to meet the growing needs of the Tweed community and we know the upgrades and additions will be welcomed by sports enthusiasts for years to come.”
Soccer fields lighting upgrade
Meanwhile, soccer fans at Arkinstall Park can now enjoy the benefits of new energy-efficient LED lighting.
The existing halogen lighting and poles have been removed from two fields and new energy-efficient LED lighting and poles installed at 3 fields, along with an automated lighting control system.
Funding for this important upgrade has been awarded from the NSW Government’s Regional Sports Facility Fund ($319,811) with Tweed Shire Council contributing $10,000.
These fields are used by Tweed United Football Club which has more than 500 active members and structured junior, men’s and women’s football leagues.
Switching to energy-efficient lighting will save up to 40% in cost and energy savings and thanks to the funding, Council can continue its ongoing program to install and upgrade sports field lighting to energy-efficient LEDs as part of its Sports Field Strategy. It is also part of Council’s commitment to lower emissions by working to reduce our impact on the environment to create a more sustainable future.
New operator for Arkinstall Park Regional Tennis Centre
Council has appointed Voyager as the new operator of the Arkinstall Park Regional Tennis Centre. Voyager is a premier racquet sports organisation with a proven track record of managing tennis facilities across Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore. Specialising in both tennis and pickleball, Voyager offers a wide range of coaching and programs catering to players of all ages and skill levels. The transition of operations to Voyager will take place in December 2024.
New netball amenities building at Arkinstall Park
Netball lovers will also benefit from the Arkinstall Park uprades, with a new $825,000 netball amenities building which was completed in November 2024, in time for the 2025 season. The amenities building is thanks to funding from the Stronger Country Communities Round ($400,000), Female Friendly Community Sport Facilities and Lighting upgrades ($225,000) and Tweed Shire Council ($200,000).
Find out more about Council’s Tweed Shire Sport and Active Recreation Strategy at yoursaytweed.com.au/activerecreation
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