Elsie Lange and Oliver Lees
The state government will provide a half-a-million dollar upgrade to the Kyneton District Soccer Club’s home ground after its application to the federal government for the crucial works was overlooked.
Findings from the Senate inquiry into the Community Infrastructure Grants program, released in March last year, found the club should have received $460,000 in funding to upgrade its oval.
The much-needed upgrade has been a long time coming, with the existing ground forcing the club to play the majority of its home games early on in the season to avoid a soggy pitch.
Kyneton District Football Club’s failure to secure the federal funding, despite being ranked one of the most deserving clubs in the country by Sport Australia, was part of the notorious ‘sports rorts’ affair which forced former sport minister Bridget McKenzie to resign.
Kyneton District Soccer Club president Ron Cole said having to travel away for games in the wettest and coldest part of the year has been challenging, and couldn’t wait for the upgrades to be made.
“It’ll be re-drained and resurfaced, which will benefit the club, because at the moment, come about June-July, we basically can’t use the ground,” Mr Cole said.
“It just gets too wet, it becomes unplayable.
“We have to cancel all training and all our home games.”
Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas said the state government had picked up the federal government’s “slack”, who were “more interested in playing politics than giving our communities the facilities they need”.
“The Andrews Labor government will continue to fund grassroots projects based on need, which is why we’ve funded the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct, and it’s why we’ve funded this pitch renewal at Barkly Square,” Ms Thomas said.
“With community sport now back in Victoria we’re expecting growing numbers of boys and girls, men and women keen to get back to the world game, however many clubs are struggling with inadequate facilities.
“The Victorian government’s World Game Facilities Fund is backing more local clubs like the Kyneton Rangers in their efforts to support even more Victorians of all ages and abilities play the sport they love.
“We’re working hard to encourage and enable all Victorians to embrace a more active and healthy lifestyle.”
Last year, in response to the committee’s findings, Sport Minister Richard Colbeck said the federal government stood by its choice of grant allocation despite Kyneton District Football Club’s high eligibility for the funding.
“Critically, if Labor and the Greens’ position on the program’s assessment and recommendations to the minister had been adopted, then far fewer local sporting projects would have been funded,” Mr Colbeck said.
“We have seen first-hand the positive impacts the program has been delivering for so many grassroots sporting organisations and local communities, including the Bendigo electorate.”
Mr Cole said there was excitement at the club when they heard the $500,000 upgrade would finally take place and hopes works start in September so they are finished by the end of the year, to get players back on the ground by 2023.
“Everybody was really happy and relieved to hear that we’re finally going to be able to get the upgrade that we’ve needed for so long,” he said.
