Part 1: Mornington Island welcomes first indoor sports facility
Opportunities to participate in sport and recreation haven't always been easy to come by for residents in Queensland's 'Gulf country'.
Hot summers, cyclones and a wet season lasting from November to March have made it very challenging for locals to be physically active throughout the year.
But that all changed for the 1100 residents of Mornington Island in October 2003 when a new $2 million multipurpose indoor sports centre opened its doors.
Mindful of the need for all Queenslanders to have access to high-quality sport and recreation experiences regardless of their location, the Queensland Government provided $1.4 million towards the development of the Mornington Island Recreation Centre.
The Government's support comprised of $1 million through the Major Facilities Program and $400,000 from Education Queensland.
Each year, more than $25 million is distributed towards sport and recreation facility developments throughout the State that provide new and improved opportunities for people to get active.
For the people of Mornington Island, the financial support meant the heat and rain were no longer going to stand in the way of those who wanted to enjoy themselves while participating in a range of sport and recreation activities.
The Mornington Shire Council demonstrated its support by contributing $660,000 towards the project.
The centre's manager David Lynch said the Mornington Island Recreation Centre was already proving very popular among the island's residents.
"The community's response has been very positive and usage of the facility is already very high," Mr Lynch said.
"This facility is very much needed in a community like Mornington Island.
"It provides a safe place for young people in particular, and is especially popular for non-structured sporting activities, discos and movie nights."
Mr Lynch said the facility had also encouraged greater participation in sport and active recreation in the short time it had been open.
The centre includes physical activity space catering for basketball, volleyball, netball and tennis.
In addition, the centre provides a venue for cultural and social activities.
The Mornington Shire Council, heavily involved with the planning for the project, believes the centre is well on track to reaching the goal of 250 participants each week.
Hopes are also high that approximately 80 percent of the island's residents will soon be using the facility on a regular basis.
Welcomed as the island's first indoor sporting facility, planning for the project began as far back as the mid 1990s when the need for the facility was identified in the island's 1996 sport and recreation plan.
This momentum increased in the following years, with Sport and Recreation services joining forces with the Mornington Shire Council, Education Queensland, Queensland Health, the Queensland Police Service, the Police-Citizens Youth Welfare Association (PCYWA), and the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy to make the project a reality.
Mr Lynch said this collaboration was vital in the project coming to fruition.
"I would recommend that anyone else thinking of undertaking a similar project explores possible partnerships with Queensland Government agencies and service providers.
The Queensland Government has also supported the development of a range of sport and recreation projects for Indigenous communities in the Torres Strait region, including a similar multipurpose indoor recreation centre on Darnley Island.
Read more about the efforts behind the development of the Mornington Island Recreation Centre.