Roosters net new club rooms

NEW female-friendly netball facilities were opened last week at the North Ballarat Football Netball Club.

The completed project includes two female-friendly changerooms, an umpires change room, baby changing facilities, and resting benches.

The project was funded with more than $690,000 from the City of Ballarat, more than $395,000 from the State Government and $10,000 from the North Ballarat FNC.

Club director Ali Driscoll said it is fantastic to see the project completed.

“We’re so excited, it’s been a long time coming and we’ve got so many young netballers that are just thrilled,” she said.

“We are getting lots of enquiries and we are getting lots of new families wanting to join the club.”

The opening follows the construction of two new netball courts in the precinct at Mars Stadium.

Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison, said it is important women have resources like changing facilities at sporting grounds.

“We want to invest in infrastructure that is going to encourage more women and girls to continue to play sport, to get active and stay involved,” she said.

“One way of doing that is by making sure we have facilities that are fir for purpose, so people aren’t changing in cars.”

Deputy-mayor Cr Amy Johnson echoed the sentiments and said that supporting women in sport was important to the municipality.

“We know that across the City of Ballarat there has been inequitable access to infrastructure,” she said.

“We have had a really strong focus on correcting that and I think projects like these ensure that people participate in sport and have access to the same high standard of facilities.”