An amount of $150,000 funding from NSW Stronger Country Communities Fund - Round 4 has been announced by State Member for Albury Justin Clancy who was at the reserve on Monday, December 6.
He met with the reserve’s committee secretary Bethany Robinson, Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Association President Glenn Brear, Mulwala Progress Association President Robert Purtle OAM and excited youngsters.
“I love Mulwala,” Mr Clancy told the Yarrawonga Chronicle. “It’s a great community, a proactive and positive community about being better for an increasing population and needs. All their hard work is producing results.”
The $150,000 funding will cover cleaning and repair of tennis court surface, resurfacing with Rebound Synpave (acrylic surface) and installing basketball rings on two courts – the only public courts in Mulwala Yarrawonga.
When they were in Year 6 at Mulwala Public School, students participated in a survey of what they wanted for their town. High on that list was ‘basketball facilities’.
Now in Year 9, some of those students were at Lonsdale Reserve on Monday and expressed how pleased they were to hear of Mr Clancy’s funding announcement for the various sports.
The $150,000 funding will include new fencing, resurfacing of cricket net practice area and replacing fencing, extending the run up for bowlers and installing nets behind the oval’s goalposts.
Costs for the new storage shed that has been built behind the grandstand and new timekeepers box on the roof will be met via the funding. The new coaches box will also happen.
“It’s great news,” Bethany commented about the big grant. “We’ll be seeking tenders after Christmas and it will be full steam ahead – we expect to start in February so we can get the best of temperatures for the resurfacing work.”
“It certainly is great news,” Lonsdale Recreation Reserve President Rod Sissons said. “We’ll have much improved training facilities and the better our tennis players and cricketers train, the better they’ll perform on competition days. There’ll be increased safety with netting behind the goalposts on the footy oval.”
Lonsdale Recreation Reserve Committee’s Lachlan Orr will be the project manager working in conjunction with Federation Council staff.
Work that has already been completed over the last three years at Lonsdale Reserve includes the new playground via the $80,000 Stronger Country Communities funding, sealing of the internal road, irrigation of the open grassed area and ‘Bay 13’ refurbishment.
Mulwala Football Netball Club is currently in the process of installing a new electronic scoreboard.
Yarrawonga Mulwala Cricket Association President Glenn Brear welcomed the grant funding news. “The cricket training wickets have got old and tired, and a remodernisation will be a boost for cricketers,” he said. “We hope we’ll see more youngsters in Mulwala train here and play cricket for us.”
Mulwala Progress Association President Robert Purtle OAM praised Bethany for her “excellent” grant funding application and expressed “Mulwala’s appreciation” to Mr Clancy for his continued support of grant applications.
