Brimbank Mayor, Cr Georgina Papafotiou, has welcomed and acknowledged a record more than $7.4 million in advocacy outcomes secured over recent months towards Council’s sport and recreation priorities, which will help create jobs and support COVID-19 recovery efforts.
A keynote outcome includes the State Government’s $4 million towards the redevelopment of More Park in Ardeer, which will support more women and girls to get fit, healthy and active, Cr Papafotiou said.
More Park is currently utilised by the Sunshine Softball Association which will benefit through improved facilities to support existing players, and to grow and attract more participants, particularly more women and girls.
The upgrades will also enable a future winter sport tenant to be located at the site which will deliver significant sports participation opportunities for the local community and help address the high demand for new sports facilities in Brimbank.
The More Park Redevelopment Stage 1 and 2 is expected to be around an $8.4 million project, some of which will include:
- Construction of a new fully accessible sports pavilion with community, social, kitchen and amenity facilities
- Four new female friendly change room facilities, along with umpire, office, first aid, store rooms and outdoor toilet
- New softball batting cage, multipurpose training area, path network, and lighting.
- Realignment of the softball diamonds will allow for the construction of two new rectangular pitches including irrigation, lighting and supporting facilities. This will help support growth in sports such as soccer and rugby.
- Upgrading, reconfiguration and extension of the car park and lighting
Cr Papafotiou said the More Park project alone will support and create a total of 139 jobs (84 direct jobs and 55 indirect jobs), and help support local economic activity, businesses and workers. The project is set to start in August 2020 and is due for completion by December 2021.
The project builds on other advocacy outcomes Council has secured for local sport through its Transforming Brimbank 2020 Sport and Recreation Agenda, including:
- $2 million in State funding for the St Albans Health and Wellbeing Hub
- $625,000 State funding towards Errington Reserve sportsground reconstruction and Delahey Sport Pavilion redevelopment
- $500,000 State funding for new female friendly change rooms at Keilor Park Reserve
- $320,000 Federal funding towards a ‘Change Makers’ Sport Initiative for newly arrived migrant and multicultural communities.
‘These are all significant financial commitments by the Government that will help support local economic activity in the short term, while also helping lift sport and recreation outcomes as we begin the COVID-19 recovery phase,’ she said.
‘I would like to acknowledge the support of the State Minister for Community Sport, Ros Spence, and advocacy from all of our local Parliamentarians, including particularly Natalie Suleyman, Natalie Hutchins, Ben Carroll and Daniel Mulino, who helped us secure these respective outcomes.’
‘Brimbank will continue advocating for further investment for local sport and recreation as part of our new 19 Point Plan for COVID Recovery, in the lead up to the State and Federal Budgets in October 2020,’ Cr Papafotiou said.
