Upgraded Sport and Recreation Precinct officially open

Councillors were joined by the State Member for Bellarine, the Honourable Lisa Neville MP, Minister for Water and Minister for Police, and the Honourable Sarah Henderson MP, Federal Member for Corangamite and Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, as well as representatives of the Queenscliff Community Sports Club, Queenscliff Football Netball Club and Queenscliff Cricket Club on Friday 12 October to officially open the upgraded Queenscliff Sport and Recreation Precinct.

In thanking the State and Federal Governments, Borough of Queenscliffe Mayor, Cr Susan Salter, emphasised the collaborative effort that has contributed to the success of this project.

“Today is a day for celebrating the wonderful collective accomplishment of everyone involved in this detailed and at times, challenging project,” said Cr Salter.

“We must recognise that fantastic outcomes can be achieved when local communities work with Council and other levels of Government to develop community facilities such as this.”

The Sport and Recreation Precinct now features:

- A new netball game day facility, funded by the State Government and Council, that incorporates home and away change rooms, toilets, showers, a first aid room, kitchenette, office and storage, and covered decking for spectators; - New netball courts, designed to the most current Netball Victoria standards; - Four new fully-enclosed cricket nets; - AFL-standard lighting at the oval for safer football training; - AFL goal netting at the oval, to facilitate multiple uses of the greater Queenscliff Recreation Reserve; - A 93-space car park for users of the sport facilities; and - Best practice, environmentally sensitive drainage and water saving infrastructure.

“We are particularly thankful to Lisa Neville for providing additional funding for the netball game day facility,” said Cr Salter.

The State Government committed to funding upgrades to the Sport and Recreation Precinct under the Community Sports Infrastructure Fund. This enabled Council to leverage funding from the Federal Government under the National Stronger Regions Fund.

Cr Salter applauded the significant contribution of the Borough of Queenscliffe community throughout the planning process for the upgrade project, and highlighted the Queenscliff netballers’ advocacy to the State Government about the importance of women’s participation in sport as a foundation for healthy people, families and communities.

“This precinct is about sport for everyone, however I would like to emphasise that this Council is significantly invested in providing state-of-the-art sporting facilities for our girls and women,” said Cr Salter.

The upgraded facilities at the Queenscliff Sport and Recreation Precinct were all brought together by local contractors including lead contractor John Monahan Pty Ltd and subcontractors, who managed construction of the netball courts, cricket nets, car park and drainage infrastructure, and BDH Constructions Pty Ltd, who built the netball game day facility.

Cr Salter acknowledged the outstanding commitment of all the tradespeople who contributed to the construction of the new facilities.