Almost three years after the Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation Centre was closed the state government has confirmed a new centre will open at Morisset.
The Myuna Bay centre had operated for more than 50 years before it was closed in March 2019 after Origin Energy informed the Office of Sport of its concerns about the integrity of the nearby power station's ash dam wall.
Origin Energy and the NSW Office of Sport agreed that a replacement centre would be built, however, the proposed location - a site owned by Origin at Eraring - created significant concerns among surrounding residents.
Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper said he was delighted that the issues had been resolved.
"Today (Thursday) I'll be joined by the new Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres who will formally announce that all parties have agreed with my proposition to build the new sport and recreation centre at Morisset and not at Eraring," Mr Piper said.
"In even better news, I can confirm that the new site and its facilities will be open to the local community and not restricted in the way that the Myuna Bay site was.
The new site is located off Morisset Park Road between the Morisset Hospital land and Bonnells Bay Public School.
The cleared but currently degraded site offers an ideal setting for a sport and recreation centre with good lake access and amenity.
"While planning and feasibility studies are not yet complete, those facilities will likely include sports fields, an indoor sports hall, pool, bike and walking trails and other sport and recreation facilities," Mr Piper said.
Local stakeholders, including Biraban Aboriginal Land Council which also owns a substantial landholding nearby, and the owners of adjoining sites support the plan.
Plans for the new centre are in the process of being drawn up and initial works such as soil and geology testing have already been done.
Origin Energy will fund the construction of the new centre.
"Like most people, I remain somewhat angry at Myuna Bay's closure and the way in which it was done. It was also disappointing that more community consultation wasn't done before the Eraring site was chosen, but I'm really excited about this project now and the result we've got," Mr Piper said.
"While I thank the Office of Sport, the State Government and Origin Energy for taking our idea on board, I also want to thank Terry Pascoe and the Eraring residents' group for their patience and support in getting this option over the line."
Lake Macquarie council has also thrown its support behind the project.
Mayor Kay Fraser told the Herald late last year that the council was keen to see the project advance as it offered "another opportunity" to create "jobs, tourism and recreation experiences" in the city's west.
"The relocation of the Myuna Bay sport and recreation facility provides the opportunity to incorporate additional facilities that cater for sports tourism and complementary community uses," she said.
"I also look forward to learning about how public ownership, access and reuse of the existing Myuna Bay sport and recreation facility will be achieved.
"Council remains willing and able to assist the Office of Sport in its work on both the existing and the new facility."
