Local Victorian sporting grounds to receive $17m
PHILLIP HUDSON HERALD SUN SEPTEMBER 27, 2013
VICTORIA’S local sports grounds are set for a $17 million boost with the Abbott Government to help deliver new pavilions, lights, change rooms, scoreboards and even goalposts to community clubs.
More than 40 grants will be spread across the state from Rowville to Hamilton.
The grants range from $3.5 million for the Shell Rd Reserve in Ocean Grove and $2.5 million for the Mernda Football Club, to $250,000 for South Belgrave Football Club and $125,000 for lights at Hamilton’s Melville Oval.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said “grassroots sport is an important part of Australia’s social fabric”.
“In addition to providing an avenue for people to be active and healthy, local sporting clubs across our country help to build greater participation in sport and stronger communities.”
The Warburton-Millgrove Football Club in the Yarra Valley is to get $10,000 for proper goal posts to replace concrete SEC light poles it has been using for 25 years.
Warburton-Millgrove president Rodney Woods said the club will now have the capacity to host some of the big games in the Yarra Valley Mountain District league.
The Liberal MP for Casey, Tony Smith, said it was an important investment.
“Local football clubs are more than just sporting clubs. They’re community hubs as well. This is particularly the case in country towns,” he said.
Six other sports clubs in Casey are sharing $745,000 in grants, including $500,000 to go towards a pavilion in the Healesville sporting complex.
In the seat of Aston 10 clubs will share $1.2 million including $600,000 to build a new pavilion at Eildon Park and $69,300 for the Ferntree Gully Eagles junior football club.
Aston MP Alan Tudge said there was high participation in community activities.
“The clubs are part of the glue to the community,” he said.
The Hamilton Kangaroos will benefit from $125,000 for lights at the historic Melville Oval in the seat of Wannon.
“Melville Oval to Hamilton is the equivalent of what the MCG is to Melbourne and an important community meeting place with a rich history,” said MP Dan Tehan.
Two of the biggest grants are in the seat of Corangamite which Liberal Sarah Henderson won from Labor.
About $3.5 million is helping to fund the upgrade of Shell Road Reserve in Ocean Grove and $2.5 million going towards Colac Central Reserve.
Ms Henderson said Ocean Grove Football Club and netball and other sports “have been battling with inadequate facilities for many years”.
She said a new pavilion, lights and change rooms for Colac had been one of the top priorities of community leaders to address social disadvantage and would be used by more than a dozen different groups.
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