Grants program makes region a leader in community sport

ONE of the privileges of serving on the City of Greater Geelong Council is being able to get out to local sporting clubs to meet community members and volunteers.

Sport plays such a vital role in our region’s psyche and after two years where we have been robbed of so much that makes us who we are, seeing people back at their local clubs across summer and in recent weeks has been magnificent.

Local football and netball returned earlier this month, with the 2022 season commencing across four local leagues at senior and junior levels.

It is remarkable that AFL Barwon is logistically responsible for close to 40,000 people every weekend who are engaged in footy and netball in our region, although that just speaks to the role sport plays within our community.

To ensure everybody can fulfil their potential and that our region maintains its standing as a leader in community sport though it is imperative that local athletes, administrators, volunteers, and our future stars have the best facilities available to them to thrive and flourish at training and on match day.

Council aims to assist in this area in many ways, but notably via our Community Infrastructure Grants program.

In the past financial year more than $3 million of funding has been provided to local clubs and organisations through the Community Infrastructure Grants program to support the planning and delivery of capital works projects within the City of Greater Geelong.

This comprised grants of up to $50,000 to support costs of planning and feasibility activities for future infrastructure projects and grants of up to $350,000 to assist with costs of ready-to-go community infrastructure projects.

As a council our priority is to support community-led projects that increase community access and participation, demonstrate collaboration between groups and result in greater use of facilities by everyone.

In the past four weeks I have visited multiple openings of facilities that have been supported by funding from the City of Greater Geelong.

These included the Carey Oval Pavillion at St Joseph’s, which received council backing of $350,000, the upgrade of lighting at Hamlyn Park Tennis Club, which council contributed $52,700 towards, and the gender-neutral changerooms at Thomson Reserve, which was partly-funded by $150,000 from council and $500,000 from the Victorian government.

I also attended the season launch of the Newtown City Hockey Club, which has received a $340,000 grant to begin upgrades of the King Lloyd Reserve Pavillion.

The improvements of this facility will also benefit fellow tenants the Geelong Touch Football Association and Murgheboluc Cricket Club.

In addition, there have been upgrades at Corio Cricket Club, with the construction of two new nets, and at Corio Community Sports Club, with the installation of two netball courts.

The combined input from council for these projects was $975,000, and we have also allocated more than $3 million in forward budgeting to a changeroom redevelopment at Shell Reserve – works which are already underway.

We are also close to unveiling new modular changerooms at Estuary Reserve in Leopold, a project which cost $1.57 million.

There are too many other developments to mention but all of these projects are vital in ensuring we provide the best opportunities for residents to enjoy their sporting pursuits in quality, safe, sustainable and accessible facilities.

I take great pride in the work that council has done to breathe new life into sporting clubs in recent years and I strongly encourage all administrators of local sports clubs to apply for funding when the next round of grants applications open.

Cr Peter Murrhiy
Brownbill Ward, City of Greater Geelong