New home for SA Basketball and Adelaide Lightning

A new $15 million basketball facility will be built in Adelaide, featuring a 1600-seat arena to serve as the new home of the Lightning WNBL team.

The South Australian government is funding a new State Basketball Centre at the Adelaide Showground, to serve as headquarters for the Adelaide Lightning, Basketball SA, SA Country Basketball and SA Wheelchair Basketball.

The new centre will be built on publicly owned land within the Adelaide Showgrounds next to the existing Wayville Sports Centre on Rose Tce and provide four extra courts, to compliment the three existing courts. Retractable seating would also transform the arena into a 1600-seat show court.

The 1928 David Roche and the Thomas Edmonds pavilions will be demolished to make way for the new building, which will be able to be used by the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA during the Royal Adelaide Show.

The Adelaide Lightning are currently based at Titanium Security Arena at Findon – the former home court of the Adelaide 36ers.

Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Corey Wingard, said the project is another big win for the state as the Marshall Liberal Government continues to position South Australia as a national and world leader in sport and recreation.

“Over this past year we’ve committed to major infrastructure upgrades which will benefit tennis, soccer, netball, cycling, athletics and lacrosse and it’s fantastic to be able to add basketball to this extensive list,” Minister Wingard said.

“Our State Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Plan recognised the need for an alternative ‘home’ for community basketball and the Adelaide Lightning; specifying a smaller, high-quality boutique show court would be a more appealing prospect for players, spectators and television viewers.

“The additional four courts in the State Basketball Centre will take the Wayville venue to seven courts overall, which will alleviate pressure on local suburban and country basketball courts, meaning more kids will have the opportunity to play basketball and be active.”

Basketball SA CEO Phil Sinnott said the announcement of the development marks a momentous occasion for basketball in South Australia.

“The State Basketball Centre is an important facility for grassroots, community, high-performance and elite level basketball, supporting Basketball SA in its overall facilities development and upgrade strategy,” Mr Sinnott said.

The Adelaide Showground is assigned under a long-term lease to the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA, who lease the Wayville Sports Centre to Basketball SA to manage the facility.

Work is expected to commence after the Royal Adelaide Show and be completed by September next year, with 64 jobs to be created during construction.