Community and sporting groups will have their facilities upgraded with more than $630,000 funding announced for the region.
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Western Victoria MP Gayle Tierney visited the south-west on Thursday to announce Community Sports Infrastructure Fund grant recipients.
They included Camperdown’s Leura Oval, the Koroit Bowls Club and the Merrivale Football Netball and Merrivale Cricket clubs.
The Leura Oval will receive more than $204,000 for four lighting towers at the football oval and four more at the netball courts. AFL Victoria will also contribute $20,000.
The Koroit Bowls Club will receive $180,000 to improve their change rooms, amenities and disabled access, while Merrivale will benefit from $250,000 for irrigation, electrical and lighting improvements.
Koroit Bowls Club chairman Barry Padgham said they were excited about the funding and it would be the club’s first major building upgrade in 40 years. He thanked the Moyne Shire for its $50,000 contribution towards the project, which the bowls club matched for the $280,000 upgrade. “We are absolutely thrilled as both these things will make a big difference to the members and the community,” he said.
He said disability access would bring the clubrooms up to “modern day expectations” and the aging amenities had restricted the recruitment of new members, particularly female members.
Mr Padgham said the upgrade had been a long time coming with a future directions committee established about five years ago, thanking those who helped with the planning and application process.
Corangamite Shire mayor Jo Beard said the Leura Oval funding was a significant amount of money and would greatly increase what the club and the community facility could offer. “This boost will go a long way to supporting the growing numbers of people in Camperdown keen to get involved in sport and recreation,” Ms Beard said.
Ms Tierney also announced a new Neighbourhood House to be established in Warrambool’s Beamish Street as part of the Neighbourhood Houses Co-ordination Program. The houses enable residents to gather and access employment, training and volunteering opportunities. Ms Tierney continues her visit to the region on Friday.
