KEEN young sports stars visited Civic Reserve in Mornington on 5 October to officially signal the beginning of a $3 million project to revitalise the facility.
Works have been underway for a number of weeks now to complete the redevelopment of the soon to be home to Mornington Little Aths and the Mt Martha Soccer Club.
The athletics track will benefit from a $2 million investment, while $1 million will be allocated to works on soccer facilities.
“Following the terrific ‘where is our track’ advocacy campaign run by members and parents involved with Mornington Little Aths, I was very pleased to secure with Greg Hunt MP $3 million for upgrades at Civic Reserve to build a much needed athletics track and home for Mornington Little Aths, along with soccer fields to benefit Mount Martha Soccer Club and many others, in partnership with additional funding from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council,” said Dunkley MP Chris Crewther.
“So many athletes, players and school students will benefit from these new facilities, whether they come from Mornington, Mount Eliza, Frankston South, Frankston, Mount Martha or surrounds. I’m very pleased to now see the works under way.”
Construction of the project, funded by the federal government and council, capped off a big week of pledges made by state candidates to local sports clubs in the lead up to the November state election.
Sports facilities were the flavour of this week’s election promises, as the state Labor government pledged over $7 million in funding across two different local grounds.
Roy Dore Reserve in Carrum is set to receive $800,000 in already budgeted funding to put towards a new female friendly pavilion complete with appropriate facilities, with an extra $3.2 million to kick in under a re-elected Labor government.
The total of $4 million is also expected to be used for a new tennis pavilion, new lights, new scoreboards, and an upgrade of fencing.
Roy Dore Reserve is currently used by nearly 1500 people, and is home to local clubs including the Carrum Cricket Club, the Carrum Patterson Lakes Football Netball Club, and the Melbourne Thunder Touch Rugby side.
The Aspendale Stingrays Soccer Club could also receive funding after the November election, with the state Labor government also promising $4.5 million to help them move to a new home ground.
The new ground would be based at Kerr Crescent Reserve in Aspendale Gardens.
There are currently over 600 junior members of the soccer club, which plays across four different sites.
Premier Daniel Andrews visited the club, and said “this new home ground will mean the next generation of Stingrays’ stars will have the facilities they deserve, including the growing number of girls joining the club.”