Collaborative approach kicks off a fantastic community project

COUNCIL’S momentous agreement to invest in the Bell Park Sports Club facilities and ensure grassroots sport continues in the north is a fantastic outcome for the club, the community and the sport of soccer – and a really positive start to 2022.

Our decision to purchase the club’s land and buildings at Batesford comes after four years of cooperative negotiations and is a true reflection of what can be achieved when council, community and other levels of government work together to reach the best possible result for all.

As part of the agreement, funding from the City of Greater Geelong Council and the Victorian Government will be used to deliver major improvements to the facilities at the club, including female-friendly change rooms and a lighting upgrade.

Geelong is a sporting city, and we must protect that reputation by delivering and retaining facilities in key growth areas.

It’s also about looking at the big picture and understanding our community now and in the future.

Soccer is the world game; more people watch soccer than any other sport across the globe.

Greater Geelong will continue to grow and welcome people from diverse backgrounds, many of whom will want to play and be involved in a variety of sports, including soccer.

This the perfect time to reach this agreement, as we rebuild socially and economically from the impact of the pandemic, and support our local soccer community to grow the world game in our region.

The Batesford site is strategically located within the future Western Geelong Growth Area, which will eventually reach a population of 60,000 residents.

The planned upgrade will attract more members and provide sporting opportunities for all ages.

Developing female-friendly facilities will open the door to more players who possibly had never considered soccer as a sport for them.

The improvements will also create a more inclusive and accessible venue and club, making our northern suburbs even more enticing to new residents.

It has been a privilege to work with the club and community, alongside my fellow councillors and the city team, to secure this agreement.

On behalf of the council, thanks to the Bell Park Sports Club for its cooperative approach. This club, like so many in our region, has been fortunate to have incredibly dedicated volunteers with vision and passion, who have worked tirelessly over many years.

As the club has said, this outcome ensures that current and future BPSC members can now focus on enjoying and growing the world game in the Greater Geelong region.

As a community we can look forward to the facility and lighting upgrade work progress at the Batesford ground, and watching membership and interest in soccer continue to grow.

We also welcome existing users such as the Geelong Radio Control Club and other community organisations to use or consider using this valuable site in the future.

Share your thoughts

In other community news, City of Greater Geelong residents might receive a call from market research agency National Field Services asking them to take part in a community satisfaction survey.

Every year the Victorian Government undertakes a survey on behalf of local councils to measure the community’s perception of their performance over the past 12 months.

All responses and details remain confidential and are not shared with the council – we only see the overall results.

If you are offered the opportunity, I encourage you take part in the survey because your feedback on what we are doing well and where we can improve is extremely valuable as the council and city staff strive for continuous improvement.

Congratulations young leaders

Congratulations and thank you to the city’s 12 new Youth Council members for stepping forward to share their views, perspectives and ideas, and be a civic voice for their peers in 2022.

The enthusiastic group, aged between 12 and 17, and representing the four Council Wards (Windermere, Kardinia, Brownbill and Bellarine), will have an opportunity to make a real difference and can be confident that their opinions will be listened to by the council.

I particularly look forward to working with and supporting the Windermere Youth Council members through the Mentor Connect program, and encourage the wider community to take an interest in their insights by reading their quarterly reports during the year.

Cr Anthony Aitken