Greater Dandenong City Council will improve local community sport infrastructure following a range of grants aimed at boosting community participation in sport and offering safer and more inclusive community sporting hubs for physical activity.
Recent grants include $25,000 through the State Government’s 2021 Local Sports Infrastructure Fund’s Scoreboards and Fixed Equipment Stream for the Police Paddocks Softball, Baseball Fencing and Dugouts upgrade. The facilities are used by the South East Baseball Club and Dandenong Softball Association. The grant will go towards upgrading the fencing and dugouts on diamonds 2, 4 and 5.
Mayor Angela Long said the funding will have benefits beyond infrastructure upgrades.
“This funding will be able to provide tangible upgrades to these facilities, but long-term benefits are even greater. It will mean we have improved facilities to encourage participation, which will have lasting benefits for the health and wellbeing of our community,” Cr Long said.
Grant funding of $123,750 was received through the State Government’s 2021 Local Sports Infrastructure Fund’s Female Friendly Facilities Stream for a Police Paddocks Softball and Baseball Batting Cage. The funding will support a covered softball and baseball batting cage which includes lighting for night training for facilities used by the South East Baseball Club and Dandenong Softball Association.
Further to this, $250,000 was awarded through the State Government’s 2021 Local Sports Infrastructure Fund’s Community Sports Lighting Stream for new lighting at Tatterson Park Oval. This sporting ground is used for soccer and Australian Rules football, and used by Parkmore Junior Football Club, South East United Football Club, Dandenong City Soccer Club and Dandenong South Soccer Club.
Council will also receive $100,000 to go towards the relocation and upgrade of the cricket training nets at Parkfield Reserve with works to occur in 2021-22. Parkfield Reserve is home to the Parkfield Cricket Club who will benefit greatly from the upgrade in their training infrastructure. The funding is part of the State Government’s 2020-21 Community Cricket Program. An additional $30,000 in funding towards the project was also received from the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund.
