The first round of grading games for the new season was played last week inside the $3 million MLT Event Centre.
Officially opened in November last year, the building comprises more than 3000sq m of clear-span space, housing changing rooms, 300 permanent tiered seats, four netball courts, two basketball courts and three tennis courts.
The Gore Multi-sports Centre Charitable Trust was responsible for overseeing the building of the event centre, which was stage three of the multi-sport complex.
The trust had suggested the council take over the ownership of the event centre.
Sporting codes including netball, basketball and tennis would be using the centre, Mr Duthie said.
The National Bank Young Farmer Competition was also to be held at the centre in July, Mr Duthie said.
"It is an event centre designed to be able to cater for a range of events both sporting and other," he said.
The council had just appointed Dan Winkel as its event centre supervisor, he said.
The complex included an ice-skating rink, aquatic centre, the event centre and the Eastern Southland Hockey Association had recently opened its water-based hockey turf next to the indoor complex.
Eastern Southland Netball president Jill Templeton said the 76 teams, involving about 700 players placed in 12 sections, would be graded after this week's games.
Then the competition proper would begin for the season.
