Windale junior league clubhouse rebuilt after fire with $335,000 council upgrade

8 January 2026

newy.com.au – Lake Macquarie City Council has completed a $335,000 overhaul of the fire-damaged Windale Junior Rugby League Clubhouse, delivering upgraded amenities for hundreds of junior and senior athletes.

The council undertook the rebuild last year after vandals set fire to garbage bins outside the building, with flames spreading to the clubhouse and gutting the structure.

Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said the revamp had turned “what was previously just a burnt-out shell into a modern, flexible facility capable of home and away or mixed gender sports”.

“We’ve installed a new roof and new awnings, but the biggest upgrade has been in the change-rooms,” Shultz said.

“Previously, it was an older style block with communal showers, which wasn’t really suitable for modern sports. The new clubhouse has shower cubicles and a room divider that can be raised or lowered with the push of a button.”

“That means the change-rooms can be split for home and away teams, or to separate male and female amenities,” he said, describing it as “a fantastic innovation that will serve the Windale community for years to come”.

Club spokeswoman Jaime Martin said the upgraded building would make a difference on game and event days by offering “a cleaner and safer environment for children to participate in sport”.

“Especially with the new cubicles it gives the opportunity for gender inclusivity by providing much needed privacy,” Martin said.

She said the clubhouse also created a practical base for the club and broader activities, adding it “provides an undercover venue and central meeting space, not only for club purposes but other events like team photos, guest presentations and more”.

Martin said the venue’s role extended beyond rugby league, providing “a central venue for many potential community events, charitable gatherings and a space to showcase the long history of sport our area has”.

“Promotion of sports and in particular team sports give the youth in the community and purpose and opportunity for fantastic pathways for the future,” she said.