Zoe Moffatt
Calls for funding for sporting clubs and new infrastructure were among the requests presented to Macedon Ranges council at a meeting last week.
Submitters from the municipality were invited to attend the meeting on February 21, in relation to the budget 2024/24 and council plan 2021-31 (year four). Council received 114 written submissions.
Gisborne Tennis Club treasure Ravi Sud requested funding for an “urgent upgrade” to the club’s tennis courts, following a Tennis Australia report that four of the courts are in “very poor condition”.
“These four courts… are on a low lying ground. They’re subject to flooding and poor drainage which has caused bass instability,” he said.
A representative from Romsey Tennis Club said the club needs financial assistance, empathy, care and hope.
“The Romsey Tennis Club is in danger of closing because our courts are simply not up to scratch with bare patches, tears and mud,” they said.
“We’ll probably shut our door to competition this winter. During competition last winter we had two players slip and fall, and thus we moved the remaining home matches to Lancefield.”
Another submitter from Lancefield park made a request for funding for an oval perimeter fence, which came up during consultation for a new master plan.
“[It’s] owned by DECA but [the park is] managed by a voluntary committee. We don’t receive any funding from the DECA for any maintenance or improvements in the park,” they said.
“We do receive 22,000 from council as a contribution towards our maintenance. We maintain the roads around the park, the oval, irrigation, buildings and all the infrastructure of the park, so it’s a huge job.
“We estimate that our volunteer contributions… is around $200,000 per year. That’s why we think it’s a pretty reasonable ask for you to contribute to our oval perimeter fence.”
The submitter said some of the events that take place at the park include agricultural shows, truck shows, swap meets, relay for life, and events such as the Lancefield gift will be returning.
