THE long-awaited opening of the new netball courts at Harley Hammond Reserve was celebrated on Tuesday night.
The eight-month-long project was officially wrapped up last week, providing Broadford’s netballers with state-of-the-art facilities to train and play on for the rest of the season.
The dual-court space has been delivered with competition-compliant lighting, and will complement the pre-existing courts on site to support the full range of Broadford’s netball teams.
President of the Broadford Football Netball Club (BFNC) Bonnie Cavanagh-Welch told the Review that the club is incredibly proud and so excited to see the project completed.
“The (opening) night itself was fantastic. We had a really strong turnout from players, life members, club officials, families and the broader community,” Cavanagh-Welch said.
“There was a genuine sense of excitement seeing the courts come to life and what they mean for the future of our club.
“It’s a huge milestone for Broadford and something that will benefit our netballers, both juniors and seniors, the wider community and of course our competitors for many years to come.”
Cr Andrea Pace, Harley Hammond Reserve Committtee of Management secretary Natalie Fletcher, Mayor John Dougall, Harley Hammond Reserve Committee of Management treasurer Stu Denness and BNC president Kate McCarthy.
Along with the BFNC, the standalone Broadford Netball Club will also benefit from the new courts.
The project received joint funding from the Federal Government’s Play Our Way program and the MSC, totaling more than $1.1 million.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Councillor John Dougall said the project is a positive outcome for the Broadford community.
The adjoining play space, part of the upgrades project, opened on Monday and features playground equipment and a swing set.
The opening games on the new courts for the BFNC will take place this weekend against Gisborne.