FRANKSTON Council has approved their long term infrastructure plan, which outlines a plan for the next decade of council spending.
Councillors approved the plan unanimously at their June meeting. As part of the motion, councillors also ticked off methods to fund a number of local sporting projects.
Council nominated two projects be submitted for a government sponsored low rate loan as part of the state government’s Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme. They were $6.25 million for the Eric Bell Reserve pavilion redevelopment, and $3 million for Kevin Collopy pavilion works. If those submissions are unsuccessful, council has committed to fund those projects “as part of standard loan borrowings”.
The motion approved by councillors also read that $1.98 million for the Belvedere Bowls Club pavilion and $2.84 million for the Pat Rollo Reserve pavilion would be funded as part of “standard loan borrowing”. $3.5 million for the Langwarrin Football and Cricket pavilion, $3.3 million for the Monterey Reserve Soccer pavilion, and $2.9 million for the Belvedere Reserve Linen House were proposed to be funded as part of council’s “Strategic Funding Reserve”.
In November last year, a motion moved by Cr Kris Bolam to investigate funding projects at Pat Rollo Pavilion, Monterey Pavilion, Belvedere Bowls facilities, Linen House, and Eric Bell Pavillion kicked off a heated debate (“War of words over ward funding’, The Times, 25/11/19).
Cr Bolam called the inclusion of the projects into the long term infrastructure plan a “great outcome but woefully overdue”.
“This will elevate forgotten sporting and community precincts to a 21st century standard,” he said.
“The cash injection will alleviate what has effectively been an infrastructure backlog in areas such as Karingal, Frankston North and Seaford. This burgeoning backlog has festered over many years due to inaction and the lack of funding assistance from other tiers of government so the council is now taking the lead and getting these important projects built and delivered.”
