Smythesdale Oval Upgrade and Rokewood Cricket Nets officially opened

Community

On Thursday 19 July, Cr Kirby, Mayor was joined by Geoff Howard, Member for Buninyong, for the official openings of the Smythesdale Oval Upgrade and the Rokewood Cricket Nets, in Smythesdale.

Cr Joanne Gilbert was also attendance, along with special guests from Cricket Victoria, AFL Goldfields and Sport and Recreation Victoria, and members of the Smythesdale and Rokewood communities.

Smythesdale Oval Upgrade

Following a successful funding submission under the State Government’s Country Football Netball Program to commence Stage One works, Council approved a budget bid to complete Stage Two works, leading to the total reconstruction of the Smythesdale Oval in a one-phase approach.

This meant that the many users of the Smythesdale Recreation Reserve, including the Smythesdale Football Netball Club and Cricket Club, could enjoy a fully reconstructed oval much sooner than expected.

The Smythesdale Oval had safety issues before the upgrade, including an uneven surface and drainage issues, and was prone to flooding.

Now, following extensive works, the many users of the Reserve, including junior teams, have one of the best ovals in the Central Highlands Football League.

The total project value was $774,834, with Council contributing $674,834 across the two stages, and the State Government contributing $100,000 to Stage One.  

Rokewood Cricket Nets

The event also included the opening of the Rokewood Cricket Nets, which have been installed at the Rokewood Reserve.

This project involved the construction of a new cricket training facility with three new training pitches.

Before the new facility was built, the Rokewood Cricket Club was using old, outdated nets – now all users have access to quality cricket training pitches.

The project was developed in accordance with Cricket Australia’s Community Cricket Facility Guidelines, to assure the new facility’s quality and safety.

Rokewood’s new cricket training facility was a $118,296 project, with a State Government contribution of $67,000, a Council contribution of $49,296 and a community contribution of $2,000.

In Mayor Kirby’s speech on the evening, she said, “Both the Smythesdale Oval Upgrade and Rokewood Cricket Nets are great projects that support our communities, providing opportunities for people to get active in a safe environment, where they can make social connections and have fun.”

Golden Plains Shire Council would like to thank Geoff Howard and the State Government for their support.  

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