More investment in Canberra’s community sports sector

Canberra Rowing Club is among a number of local sporting organisations that will benefit from the ACT Government’s Sport and Recreation Investment Scheme.

The Scheme includes two new funding programs in 2023 – the Club Enhancement Program and the Community Sport Facilities Program (CSFP).

A total of 31 projects will be funded through both programs, including the Canberra Rowing Club which will receive $1.3 million over two years towards the construction of a new clubhouse under the CSFP.

The Canberra Rowing Club has raised a further $860,000 to help fund the project.

“Canberra Rowing Club is Canberra’s largest rowing club and one of the most successful from both a high-performance and community program perspective, having produced 14 Olympians and taught thousands of Canberrans to row,” said Minister for Sport and Recreation Yvette Berry.

“This exciting project has been years in the making and will modernise the facility, increase club storage, provide disability access and additional amenities and include a new club meeting space.

“The new clubhouse will provide a safer environment for all members, participants and visitors, a better standard of facilities for female members and enable the club to provide a new range of rowing programs for school students and para-athletes.

“Volunteers are the backbone of our sporting clubs, so it’s wonderful to see a number of clubs have applied to the Club Enhancement Program to invest in their volunteers and officials.

A range of other clubs and organisations will benefit from the Sport and Recreation Investment Scheme, including:

Community Sport Facilities Program:

  • Brindabella Blues Football Club – $122,000 for planning a design of a new pavilion in Calwell.
  • Hall Pony Club – $20,000 to upgrade the arena surface.
  • Kippax Tennis Club – $20,000 to provide solar battery power to the facility.

Club Enhancement Program ($10,000 maximum funding):

  • Hockey ACT – $10,000 for volunteer development.
  • Canberra Cycling Club – $8,900 to purchase event timing equipment.
  • Croatia Deakin Soccer Club – $4,700 to increase the number of female coaching members.

A full list of recipients is available on the Sport and Recreation website.

Quotes attributable Sandra Sweeney, President of Canberra Rowing Club:

“Canberra Rowing Club is extremely grateful the ACT Government, Minister Berry, and Sport and Recreation ACT for their support. Our new Clubhouse project has been a decade in the making, and this grant will enable us to bring to life this vision and more ably support the needs of our members and the ACT’s rowing community.

“We have a proud history of being home to national representatives and Olympians, and with the Olympics coming back to Australian shores, we see this grant as a vital component for a project that will help grow our sport and support the next generation of ACT rowers as they look to Brisbane 2032.”

/Public Release. View in full here.