Golden Plains Shire Council welcomes the Federal Government’s funding announcement of $500,000 for the Victoria Park Sport Oval Lighting Upgrade in Bannockburn.
Council successfully secured the maximum amount of funding available through the Community Sport Infrastructure Round 2 grant for the lighting upgrade at both ovals at the Bannockburn Victoria Park Recreation Reserve.
The funding was announced by Federal Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson MP to an appreciative crowd at Victoria Park, Bannockburn on Friday 8 February.
The existing sports oval lighting on one field at the Reserve does not meet the minimum standard for participation, is unsafe and negatively impacts the experience of current users. The poor lighting quality has also restricted key sporting clubs, including the Bannockburn Football Netball Club and Bannockburn Cricket Club, growing their membership and limited their capacity to schedule matches, training and events. The lighting upgrade at Victoria Park was identified as a priority in the G21 AFL Barwon Regional Strategy with the existing oval lighting listed among the poorest in the region.
The new lighting on both ovals will meet the AFL standard for community football and surpass the minimum requirements for local football training and matches. The lighting upgrade will complement the dedicated change facilities for men and women and the redeveloped cricket training facility at the Reserve.
Construction is currently underway at Victoria Park on two new netball courts, with shelters for players and officials, centrally located to cater for both courts, as well as a new multipurpose space with rings and goals that will cater for multiple sports including netball, futsal and basketball. These works began in mid-January and are scheduled for completion in April 2019.
Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey says Council has lobbied hard for investment in new sport oval lighting at Victoria Park for many years and these projects highlight the importance of strategic planning with our community.
“With a population growth of 7.2 percent in Bannockburn, The Victoria Park Recreation Reserve is a busy sport and activity facility with more than 5,000 residents regularly enjoying the football/cricket oval, netball courts, skate park and playground.
“The new lights will eliminate scheduling issues and deliver greater opportunity for games and training sessions at night, while increasing safety and opportunities for female participation in sport, as well as more social activities at the site. The current lighting limits the area that players can use on the oval, so the new lighting means less wear and tear on the field, reducing costly maintenance and improving the overall condition of the playing surface.”
“The National Government’s Community Sport Infrastructure grant program is a very competitive process and we are pleased to have secured the largest possible commitment in this national funding stream. We thank the Federal Government for recognising the significant value of this project and making a wise investment in community sporting infrastructure in Golden Plains Shire.”