Play begins on new court

THE completion of a new netball court at Richmond Oval has provided a fantastic boost for East Geelong netballers – just in time for the start of the season.

Contractors completed line marking for the new court on Friday 4 April, ensuring it was ready to play on as competition got underway the very next day.

As the Cheetham Ward Councillor, I was thrilled to hear about this fantastic outcome for East Geelong Football and Netball Club (FNC).

Previously, the Eagles were one of the few clubs left in Greater Geelong with only one Netball Australia-compliant court.

The recently completed court is part of Council’s efforts to get more girls and women involved in netball – and sport in general – as we work to ensure every club in our municipality has at least two compliant courts.

Council delivered these works alongside improvements to the reserve’s existing netball court, which will enhance player safety and ensure it too remains compliant.

These additional improvements, funded via $250,000 from the Victorian Government, included new lighting, behind-goal netting, goalposts and players’ and officials’ benches.

Together, these projects will support the growth of netball at East Geelong, increasing the club’s capacity to hold training sessions and host games.

The new netball court at Richmond Oval is also a shining example of the power of community advocacy.

Council voted to include the $650,000 project in our 2024-25 budget last June, following more than a dozen submissions calling for the new court in response to our draft budget in April 2024.

I congratulate East Geelong FNC on this fabulous outcome and thank club members and supporters for their submissions.

The completion of this project provides a timely reminder of the role our community plays in Council’s yearly budget.

Last week Council endorsed its proposed 2025-26 budget for public feedback, inviting our community to have their say on this crucial document.

As Councillors, we are always listening to the community and striving to improve our local facilities.

Opening the proposed budget for feedback helps us to identify areas of community need and address these where possible.

We’re operating in a challenging economic environment and the proposed 2025-26 budget focusses on long-term financial sustainability.

But, in the face of these challenges, Council remains focused on delivering positive outcomes that matter to our community.

This requires considered planning to maximise the effectiveness of every dollar, ensuring we can continue to provide the essential infrastructure and services our community needs.

Which makes your feedback critically important this year.

I encourage everyone to get involved by providing feedback to help us shape the future of Greater Geelong.

The budget is open for community consultation until 5pm, Thursday 21 May at geelong.link/Budget2025-26

While we may not be able to include every request in the final 2025-26 budget, we will continue to investigate future opportunities for funding and collaboration with the state and federal governments.

I’ll continue to work closely with Cheetham Ward constituents and the wider municipality to ensure the final 2025-26 budget reflects the needs of our community.

Cr Melissa Cadwell

Cheetham Ward,

City of Greater Geelong