Construction has begun on an eight-lane athletics track at Southern Cross University’s Lismore campus, giving Northern Rivers schools and clubs a competition-standard venue closer to home when it opens in mid-2027.
The Southern Cross Regional Athletics Facility is being built at Maurie Ryan Oval. It will have a synthetic running track with a ten-lane 100-metre straight, alongside facilities for jumps, throws and steeplechase.
The NSW Government and the university confirmed the start of work on Thursday, November 5. The university puts the project cost at $5 million, including a $3.672 million state grant, while the government’s announcement puts the total at $4.5 million. Neither announcement explains the difference.
The state government says more than 50 school athletics carnivals are held in the region each year without access to high-quality competition facilities. Some athletes and their families travel to Queensland to use a comparable track.
North Coast Minister and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said the venue would help the city ‘host more school carnivals, club competitions and larger regional events’.
The track is being built to World Athletics Class 2 standards and will include spectator seating, accessible paths and upgraded change facilities. The works also include drainage and stormwater systems designed to make the venue more resilient to flooding.
Young athletes training through the North Coast Academy of Sport are among those expected to use the facility. The university says it could also serve as a training venue ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
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