Rephasing of the National Sports Centre to bring about some completions in the "very near future'' was behind the new Government's decision to allocate $1.4 million in its Budget to the current phase of the project.

Unable to speak more specifically until his Ministry's budget is debated in the House of Assembly, Sports Minister Dennis Lister did express a desire yesterday to see the on-going and much-delayed project completed.

Already the project is six months behind its projected 2001 completion and could now cost somewhere in the region of $50 million. That figure stood at $46 million last March.

The southern field was only reopened earlier this week after it had been closed for several months while another new artificial track was relaid. That job was delayed by bad weather.

Now the new Government is expected to give the project top priority. "One of the things we had to do when we walked in the door as the new Government administration was to look at projects,'' said Lister.

"For me the project was the National Sports Centre and, one, whether we were going to buy into the project as it was. Two, if we bought into it, how did we modify and adjust it to suit what we think needs to be done,'' said Lister.

"What we've done is take a good look at it -- and it is still ongoing -- and decided we will definitely have the project rephased, meaning there are some things we want to see completed first in reference to original plans which would have had them done at a later stage.'' Added Lister: "The intention is to have the emphasis placed on something we can see as a completion in the very near future.

"When I say completion I mean completion of things that we can use.'' Because his ministry's Budget has not yet been debated, the Minister could only speak generally about some of the plans.

"Next Friday the Opposition will present their reply and after that we will break up into the individual departments,'' explained Lister.

"Once we get into the individual departments and my ministry comes up I will discuss all the details.'' The Budget also allows for $1.3 million to be allocated to the Ministry of Youth Development, Sport, Parks and Recreation, with $314,000 to support the development of the Springfield Community Centre in Sandys.

A further $250,000 will be allocated to provide assistance to local sporting clubs in need of funding.

"We've requested an increase so that we can reach out to our clubs, recognising there were some needs,'' said Lister.

"However, that $1.3 million is not all for the clubs, but represents all the grants we reach out to everybody with.

"It was increased so that we can assist clubs in a way that we hadn't necessarily assisted them in the past.''