Charles Darwin University has officially opened the new change-rooms at the Pirates Rugby Union Football Club that will see the club continue its quest to provide opportunities to play rugby for both juniors and seniors in the NT.
The new change-rooms are part of a larger refurbishment of CDU’s sports facilities and precinct, including a gymnasium opened in March this year, and signals a new era for the Pirates club. The facilities were opened by NT Senator Trish Crossin.
CDU Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and International, Professor Sharon Bell said that the project was completed with the wider community in mind.
“With these great facilities the club can continue to provide the use of a quality clubroom to a wide range of affiliated sporting and community bodies,” Professor Bell said.
At the event Professor Bell also acknowledged assistance from the $200 million “Better TAFE Facilities”, part of the Federal Government’s $500 million Teaching and Learning Capital Fund for Vocational Education and Training” initiative.
“Funding from Better TAFE Facilities not only assisted with this project but also provided CDU with $2 million to support infrastructure investment in Alice Springs, Casuarina, Katherine, Mataranka and Palmerston,” Professor Bell said
Today’s opening also recognised the $1.34 million invested in the Casuarina campus facilities to upgrade VET equipment for traditional trades, Business and Information Technology, Service Industries, Health Industries, Construction, and Primary Industries.
More than $1 million of this was to update equipment and purchase trade training aids including an electrotechnology simulator.
It also allowed for the installation of a wastewater re-use catchment facility in a number of greenhouses for Horticulture, to catch and re-use excess irrigation water and wet season rain.