Future Katherine Sports & Recreation Precinct

About the project

The Katherine Sports Ground is already one of the busiest places in our community, attracting more than 240,000 visits each year for sport, recreation and community events.

Now it's time to start planning for what's next.

Thanks to funding through the Australian Government's Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program, Katherine Town Council is developing a masterplan to guide the future of the Katherine Sports Ground and surrounding precinct.

A key part of the project is planning for the future of the Henry Scott Recreation Centre. The masterplan will explore replacing the existing building with a modern, multi-purpose indoor sports and community facility designed to better meet Katherine's future needs.

The proposed facility could include competition-standard indoor courts for sports such as basketball, netball and hockey, along with change rooms, public amenities and flexible spaces for community organisations and allied health services. It would also provide an air-conditioned venue for community events, conferences, exhibitions and large gatherings, while doubling as an evacuation centre for remote communities during significant weather events.

The project will also examine how the new facility connects to the Katherine Aquatic Centre and other sporting facilities within the 29-hectare sports precinct. This includes opportunities to improve parking, traffic flow, walking and cycling connections, shared green spaces and the overall experience for everyone who uses the precinct.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to plan a sports and recreation precinct that meets the needs of our growing community for years to come.

The masterplan will be developed with the help of sporting clubs, community organisations, Traditional Owners, government agencies and the wider community.

This design phase is the first step in the development process. The design will be completed by the end of March 2027, and we can then submit funding applications to start construction.

This is just the start of the conversation; there will be many opportunities to have input over the coming months, but we would love to hear your ideas before detailed planning gets underway. We have created an 'ideas tool ', so feel free to use it to provide comments, photos, diagrams and questions.

What could be included?

The project will explore ideas including:

✅ A new modern Henry Scott Recreation Centre

✅ Indoor courts for sports such as basketball, netball and hockey

✅ Flexible community spaces for meetings, events and conferences

✅ Emergency shelter facilities

✅ Better parking and traffic flow

✅ Safer walking and cycling connections

✅ Improved links with the Katherine Aquatic Centre and surrounding sporting facilities