Boost for regional sporting facilities

APPLICATIONS have opened for a grant program aimed at upgrading and building new sports facilities, such as swimming pools, women and girls’ changerooms and sports pavilions, across regional Victoria.

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence and Bellarine MP Alison Marchant visited the Wallington Reserve earlier this month to announce the opening of the second round of the Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund (RCSIF).

Under the program, grants are available across five streams – community facilities, all abilities infrastructure, women and girls’ facilities, indoor stadiums and aquatic facilities, and planning – to help plan, design and build the sports infrastructure regional communities need.

Additional grants of up to $50,000 are also available through the program to help boost the participation of people with disability at the new or upgraded facilities.

“This fund is about giving Bellarine’s sport and recreation participants appropriate facilities they need and can be proud of, so even more people can get involved and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits that come from leading an active lifestyle,” Ms Marchant said.

“I have encouraged local community-based clubs and organisations to connect with their local council and take advantage of this opportunity to build and upgrade important facilities and help more people of all ages, abilities and genders to get involved in sport and recreation.”

The Wallington Reserve was among the recipients of the first round of the RCSIF, receiving $1 million to support the $4.25 million redevelopment of the all-abilities pavilion at the reserve.

The reserve is home to the Wallington Cricket Club and Bellarine Bears Baseball Club, which run all-abilities programs to create opportunities for kids of all abilities to be part of a community and play the sport they love.

During Ms Spence’s visit to the reserve, which was prompted by Ms Marchant, she met with members of both clubs to discuss the upgrades, which will address existing accessibility issues by eliminating steps, rectifying narrow doorways and walkways, updating door handles, and through the installation of all-genders ambulant toilets.

Applications for the RCSIF will close on March 17. For more information, head to sport.vic.gov.au/funding/regional-community-sports-infrastructure-fund