Work has commenced on the construction of a dry slope airbag jump at Jindabyne Sport and Recreation Centre as part of Stage 1 of the $5 million National Snowsports Training Centre.
NSW Deputy Premier and Member for Monaro John Barilaro said the National Snowsports Training Centre would be a world-class airbag training facility that will attract winter sports athletes from around the world.
“Seeing excavators and earth works at the site is an exciting development in a project which will have many benefits for our region, not just from a sporting perspective but also economically through jobs, investment and tourism,” Mr Barilaro said.
“The centre will be open all-year-round, enabling Australia’s leading winter sports athletes to be at their peak at all times.”
Acting Minister for Sport Geoff Lee said the NSW Government is committed to improving the quality and quantity of sports infrastructure in regional NSW.
“The dry slope at the National Snowsports Training Centre is going to give Australia’s best athletes the chance to train in their own backyard 365 days a year,” Mr Lee said.
“This project is part of a sports infrastructure construction boom across the State that is boosting employment in regional NSW as part of the NSW Government’s multi-billion-dollar infrastructure pipeline.”
Snow Australia Chief Executive Officer Michael Kennedy said the commencement of construction works is a great milestone.
“I can confidently say that the airbag will be among the very best in the world and will be highly sought after by athletes from all over the world to come and train in Jindabyne year round,” Mr Kennedy said.
“The National Snowsports Training Centre will have a profound impact on Australian athletes’ capacity to maintain and enhance their international competitiveness.
“It will serve as a base for our high-performance programs and will also provide a focal point for pathway programs and broader winter sport community to come together.”
The dry slope airbag jump at the National Snowsports Training Centre is scheduled for completion in early 2021.