Funding for City Oval netball facilities

Horsham Rural City Council has welcomed an $800,000 investment from Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV) that will help deliver long-awaited netball facility upgrades at the municipality’s premier sporting precinct.

Two new netball courts and a modern community pavilion will be delivered at Horsham City Oval as part of the $3.2 million project.

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence announced the funding in Horsham on Wednesday after HRCC successfully applied for a SRV Female Friendly Facilities grant.

LED floodlights, two change rooms with accessible showers and toilets, player and spectator amenities, an office, social room, storage facilities and umpires room are also included in the plans.

Council will commit $2,402,030 to the redevelopment thanks to the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure fund.

HRCC will soon call for detailed design tenders and onsite works will begin in the coming months.

The City Oval/Sawyer Park redevelopment project is one of seven precincts included in the City to River Masterplan, and is the second to progress after work started on the riverfront precinct in 2021.

In June, HRCC secured $2 million from the Victoria Government to build a multifunctional stage that will better connect City Oval with Sawyer Park.

Council will seek further money for projects such as a new cricket/football community pavilion with modern change rooms and the expansion of the City Oval playing field.

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO MAYOR ROBYN GULLINE

“The wider benefit of this upgrade is about inspiring female participation in sport and providing great, safe facilities to enable more women to participate for longer,” she said.

“The flow-on effect of more sport participation is of course improved personal wellbeing, better health, social interaction and better quality of life.

“We sincerely thank the Victorian Government for its investment in our regional city. It will certainly be appreciated for many decades to come. Recognition should also go to members of the Community Reference Group who were instrumental in the City Oval/Sawyer Park concept design process,” Cr Gulline said.

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO WIMMERA FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE PRESIDENT PAULINE BUTLER

“Not only will the two netball courts create more participation in the sport, it will also provide the league and clubs access to first rate facilities for home away matches and finals,” Ms Butler said.

“It also allows us to be flexible with game day management of potentially playing more than one game at a time.”