Lighting upgrades at recreation reserves in Pyalong and Broadford and a redevelopment of Kilmore Senior Citizens Centre are at the top of a Mitchell Shire Council wish list in its latest round of State Government grant applications.
Council approved 13 applications to the government’s Local Sports Infrastructure Fund 2022 and Growing Suburbs Fund 2022-23 at last month’s meeting.
At the top of council’s list of applications under the Local Sports Infrastructure Fund was $750,000 to upgrade lighting at Pyalong Recreation Reserve’s netball/tennis courts, with a council contribution of $250,000.
Other council requests through the fund were:
- $720,000 for netball court lighting upgrades at Harley Hammond Reserve, Broadford, with a council contribution of $220,000;
- $350,000 for lighting upgrades at the Broadford Baseball Facility, with a council contribution of $100,000;
- $720,000 for facility upgrades at RB Robson Stadium, Wallan, with a council contribution of $360,000;
- $50,000 to plan a Beveridge Central Active Open Space, with a council contribution of $20,000;
- $300,000 for court upgrades at Wallan Tennis Centre, with a council contribution of $75,000;
- $110,000 for an active recreation project at Graham Street Park, Seymour, with a council contribution of $27,500;
- $180,000 for an active recreation project at Heywood Hill Park, Seymour, with a council contribution of $45,000;
- $175,000 for an active recreation project at Generation Park, Seymour, with a council contribution of $43,750;
- $100,000 for an outdoor pool slide at Tallarook, with a council contribution of $73,750.
Council submitted three applications under the Growing Suburbs Fund, with its top request being $900,000 to redevelop and complete accessibility upgrades at Kilmore Senior Citizens Centre, with council pledging $70,000 to complete the project.
The other applications were: $800,000 for facility redevelopment and accessibility upgrades at Wandong Community Centre, with a council contribution of $60,000 and community contribution of $20,000; and $220,000 for a play space upgrade at Kings Park, Seymour, with a council contribution of $20,000.
Cr Rhonda Sanderson commended council staff for preparing the 13 proposals in a short time after the State Government brought forward application deadlines for both grant programs.
“[The applications] are not just pulled out of the air. These recommended projects and priorities [are] based on the eligibility guidelines [and] our recently adopted four-year capital budget program,” she said.
“We’re looking at the big picture and maximising what we can get from these grants and looking at renewal, growth needs, et cetera.
“If we received funding for all of these, we would receive nearly $4 million of grant funding towards about $5.375 million of service improvements, so that would be a significant assistance to us.”
Cr Sanderson said council was unlikely to be successful with each of its applications as it was competing with municipalities across Victoria for a limited amount of grant money.
