Linton Rec Reserve nets upgrade

CRICKETERS of all ages are set to benefit from improved facilities at Linton Recreation Reserve following the announcement of new nets at the ground.

Just over $200,000 of capital works will see new cricket nets built on the north-eastern side of the site and expanded to three training pitches.

“You only need to look over yonder to see the state of disrepair the old nets are in,” said Kirk McDonald, president of the Linton Cricket Club. “They were here when I was a kid.

“To get something new, especially with the number of juniors we have in the program at the minute, is a really good thing for the kids and the town.

“It’ll mean that we can probably align the junior training with the seniors and set it up more like a hub, rather than having to go one after the other. That’ll increase the sense of community in the club.”

As part of the upgrade the State Government is putting in $100,000, Golden Plains Shire $72,000, while $30,000 is coming from the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund.

Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle, who was at the rec reserve last Friday, said the upgrades were important because they supported a focal point in the district.

“The funding has come under the Victorian Government’s community cricket program and we’re absolutely committed to community sport, particularly with a club like this in a town like Linton,” she said.

“Of the 36 kids at the primary school, 24 are in the cricket club, so that gives you an idea of how incredibly vital the club is within this community.”

With over half the money for the project coming from sources other than the Shire’s coffers, mayor Cr Helena Kirby said part of the success in achieving support from other levels of government was making sure projects were “shovel ready.”

“If we’re not we would miss out on getting a lot of these funded,” she said.

“Staff at council do a lot of work behind the scenes making sure that we’re on the front foot before the announcements are made so we can put our hands up and say we’re ready to go.”

The upgrade to the cricket nets comes on top of other recent works at Linton Recreation Reserve that also includes female friendly change rooms next to the netball courts and new light towers.

Mr McDonald said all the upgrades were well used by the ground’s tenants and appreciated by the community.

“It’s a credit to the town and the work the rec reserve committee puts in to organise this sort of stuff,” he said.

“We’re already had two day-nighters. We had a local derby and then an all-star weekend recently and raised about $6000 for Movember.”

Linton Cricket Club has a senior and two junior squads who play in the Grenville Cricket Association. The club also runs skills workshops for under 8s.