General News
18 August, 2022
Liberals promise $1.9M for Skipton hub
THE Liberal-Nationals coalition has committed $1.9 million in funding towards Skipton’s Community Hub upgrade should it be elected at November’s State election.
THE Liberal-Nationals coalition has committed $1.9 million in funding towards Skipton’s Community Hub upgrade should it be elected at November’s State election.
Member for Ripon, Louise Staley, made the announcement at the Skipton Football Netball Club sponsor’s day event last Saturday, which the club also used to promote its vision for the development of a $6 million hub at the town’s Recreation Reserve.
The plan consists of a new state-of-the-art facility to be built at the Skipton Recreation Reserve, which includes new social rooms, female changerooms as well as upgrades to the playing surface and new fenced cricket wickets.
Substandard facilities at the existing recreation reserve and a lack of meeting places in the town, prompted a group of local volunteers into action late last year.
Skipton Football-Netball Club president and redevelopment committee member, Andrew Bodman, says the potential community benefits is what drives the committee to achieve these upgrades.
“It’s an important point in our journey to get some results, these announcements along the way motivate us to push on and keep working hard,” he said.
“That community aspect is what’s really driving us. It’s all well and good for a club to get access to the things we’re proposing but there are so many more layers to just the football-netball club. The community doesn’t have that meeting point and that place for people to come together.
“There are so many benefits in having somewhere for people to meet and create that togetherness and pride, which we’re trying to inject into a town that’s struggled over the last ten years.”
The Skipton committee applied for $2.7 million as part of the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund program in June, with Corangamite Shire also committing $300,000 if federal and state funding is approved.
The committee has also put forward $300,000, with this divided into $100,000 cash, $150,000 in labour and services and $50,000 in materials and donations.
Research indicates the recreation reserve is used by between 12-15,000 people annually.
It is projected 22 ongoing jobs will be created as part of the development.
Moreover, the committee has also committed its own set of funds to the project as well as in-kind labour, services and materials.
A new community hub would add to the town’s significant growth since the 2011 floods.
Community hub proposal:
New social rooms
Improvements to out-of-date facilities
Female friendly facilities
Male changerooms
New and inclusive playground
Oval upgrades to meet AFL requirements (including fencing, improved drainage and construction of shelters for players and coaches)
Security and storage upgrades
Fenced Cricket wicket and training areas
Electric scoreboard
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