STATE Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence visited Wallan on Saturday to announce more than $100,000 to upgrade drainage at the Greenhill Reserve oval.
Ms Spence announced the State Government would contribute $106,666 to the $160,000 project, which will remove low spots on the oval and install lateral drainage to eliminate the pooling of water in certain sections of the ground.
Greenhill Reserve is the home ground of Wallan Football Netball Club and Wallan Junior Football Club, the second-largest senior and junior football and senior netball clubs in Mitchell Shire.
More than 700 players and their families use the reserve’s facilities each week.
Council deputy mayor Fiona Stevens said current drainage issues meant the ground could not be used to an optimum level and caused serious damage to the playing surface.
She said initiatives to boost female participation in sport had made the need to upgrade the reserve’s surface more urgent.
“Sport is a big part of people’s lives in Mitchell Shire and adequate facilities are an important part of preparing for population growth,” she said.
“These improvements are needed to increased capacity at Greenhill Reserve and allow more people to be involved in community sport.”
