Grant to improve netball lighting at Stribling Reserve

LORNE’S Stribling Reserve is among the footy and netball facilities across Victoria being supported in the latest round of a state government program.

Developed in partnership with the AFL, AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria, the Country Football and Netball Program has handed out more than $43 million and delivered more than 590 projects since 2005.

It provides funding to local government authorities to help regional football and netball clubs, associations and umpiring organisations upgrade and develop facilities in rural, regional and outer metropolitan locations.

Last month, Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence announced nine recipients would share in more than $1.5 million in the 2025-26 round of the program, and that applications for a new round of grants were now open.

The Surf Coast Shire is one of these nine recipients, and successfully applied for an upgrade of netball lighting at Stribling Reserve for the Lorne Dolphins.

Other grants allocated this year include $250,000 at Minyip Recreation Reserve to upgrade their oval lighting to competition-standard 100 lux LED, $133,000 for Deakin Recreation Reserve in Shepparton to install new accessible and all-gender facilities to the change rooms, $220,000 at Agnes Brereton Reserve in Traralgon to install 200 lux LED lighting on the 10 netball courts, and more than $242,000 for oval lighting upgrades at Cavendish Recreation Reserve.

Examples of projects eligible for funding include:

• Developing new, or redeveloping existing change rooms and pavilions to increase capacity, inclusion and safety
• Developing new, or redeveloping existing sports ovals and courts to increase capacity, inclusion and safety
• Sports lighting that improves capacity, inclusion and safety, such as installing new LED lighting infrastructure or replacing non-LED lighting with LED lamps to meet lighting standards
• Projects that result in energy or water efficiency, with a direct impact on participation, such as warm-season grass conversions, and
• Projects that benefit multi-use outcomes where football or netball is the primary beneficiary.

“Finals time highlights just how important local grounds are to local communities and these grants will ensure clubs have the facilities they deserve close to home,” Ms Spence said.

“Better home ground facilities mean clubs can encourage more participation, host more events, support volunteers, and draw bigger crowds which can be a major boost for regional economies and the jobs and businesses in those regions.”

Applications for the new round of grants for the 2026-27 Country Football Netball Program close on February 26, 2026.

Regional and outer metropolitan councils can apply for grants of up to $250,000 for sports infrastructure developments.

For more information or to apply, head to sport.vic.gov.au/funding/country-football-and-netball-program