ILLAWARRA COUNTRY BOOTSCOOTERS PLANS NEW HOME AT THE GROUNDZ

Illawarra Country Bootscooters is planning to call The Groundz Precinct at Dapto home, marking an exciting new chapter for one of the region’s best known and most successful line dancing communities.

The Groundz and Illawarra Country Bootscooters have reached an agreement for the popular line dancing business to relocate into the former greyhound racing TAB Room at The Groundz, with a Development Application now lodged for approval with Wollongong City Council for the proposed use.

Established in 1993 by Tom and Donna Glover, it has grown from a family passion for line dancing into a thriving local dance community.

Today the business is led by their daughter, Maddison Glover, who grew up immersed in the sport before following in her parents’ footsteps and taking over the family business.

Maddison has gone on to establish an exceptional international reputation as a line dancer, instructor and choreographer, achieving numerous Australian titles and prestigious international accolades throughout her career.

Under Maddison’s leadership, the club has continued to grow, with a busy weekly program catering for line dancers from absolute beginners through to competition level and a large and loyal community.

The former TAB Room became available following the cessation of greyhound racing at The Groundz in 2025, creating an opportunity to repurpose the space as part of the precinct’s ongoing transformation.

The proposed move would provide a dedicated, quality home at The Groundz with the former TAB room continuing to be known as “The Barn”, the name carried over from their current home.

The Groundz CEO Katrina Novak said the move was a natural fit for the direction of the evolving precinct.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Maddison and her team to The Groundz.

“The Illawarra Country Bootscooters have built an incredibly strong and loyal following over more than three decades, and Maddison continues to grow that legacy into a highly regarded and successful business.

“What stood out to us was the strength of the community, the consistency of the year round activity and the way it brings people together across different ages and abilities.

“The Groundz is being shaped into a year-round precinct where businesses, events, hospitality and community activities can grow alongside each other, and this fits really well into that vision.”

For Maddison Glover, the proposed move represents an exciting new chapter for the growing line dancing community.

“This is such an exciting opportunity for our club.

“We have always been about much more than learning dances. We have generations of people who have grown up with us, made lifelong friendships through our classes and become part of this amazing community.

“To have the opportunity to create a dedicated home at The Groundz is really exciting.

“We see lots of opportunities to collaborate with The Groundz and can’t wait to take our community on this next journey with us.”

The agreement follows an Expression of Interest process undertaken by The Groundz.

Ms Novak said the focus was on finding an operator that would add to the broader precinct.

"As we continue transforming The Groundz, we are being very deliberate about bringing in businesses and activities that complement each other and add something meaningful to the precinct. We look forward to welcoming Maddison and the Illawarra Country Bootscooters community to their new home."

The move is subject to development approval by Wollongong City Council.