DIMBOOLA Football Netball Club has received a $174,000 grant from state and local governments to build female change rooms.
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Sport Minister John Eren announced a $96,365 grant for Hindmarsh Shire council to contribute to an upgrade of the Dimboola Recreation Reserve.
The $96,365 grant includes $33,253 from the Country Football Netball Program and $63,112 from the Community Sport Infrastructure Fund – Female Friendly Facilities program.
Club president Colin Campbell said the grant would benefit female club members.
The grant also covers the installation of a water system on Les Howland Oval.
“At the moment there’s nothing for the women,” he said.
“There are toilets over at the club rooms but they’re a few hundred metres from the netball court.”
Hindmarsh mayor Debra Nelson said the recreation reserve was originally built at a time when female change rooms were not usually provided at such facilities.
Mr Campbell said the investment was an important part of engaging female players.
“The news that this funding has been approved is fantastic,” he said.
“Netball is an important part of our club and the new change rooms will help us retain existing players and attract new ones.
“It will keep the netballers happy, which is really important.”
Mr Campbell said the grant would also benefit the wider football, cricket and netball communities at Dimboola.
He said the build would also create a covered area at the new change rooms.
Mr Campbell said the Les Howland Oval watering system would allow more games to be played.
“We will be one of the only clubs in the Wimmera Football League that will have a large oval where our juniors can play extended games, and they will not have to be squeezed in between other games,” he said.
“There are also plans to install a synthetic cricket pitch on the oval, which will mean we can play two grades of cricket at the recreation reserve at the same time.”
Mr Campbell said the club had until December to spend the money.
He said it was unlikely the change rooms would be ready by next football season.
“We’ve got a fair bit of planning,” he said.
“In the big picture we want to take time and get it right.”
Cr Nelson has praised the grant contribution.
“The state government’s support for this $174,000 project is a great win for the Dimboola community,” she said.
Hindmarsh council is in the process of finalising a masterplan for the recreation reserve.