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Completed lighting upgrades in Latrobe City unveiled to boost community sports engagement

Latrobe City Council unveiled sports site upgrades funded by the state government's stimulus program, including lighting improvements at five locations to boost community sports engagement and involve local businesses.

By news@gippsland - 25th September 2023 - Back to News

Latrobe City Council has officially unveiled upgrades to five different sports sites across the City. This project was funded by the state government's Sport and Recreation Victoria Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program in 2020. This program was created to support local sporting clubs, create jobs, and boost Victoria's economic recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The program had a total budget of $68 million that was distributed across local government authorities in Victoria.

The lighting upgrade not only enables evening netball training but also supports weekly dinners to strengthen team bonds and mark club achievements at Newborough Netball and Football Club

Lighting upgrade recipients

The state government provided a generous contribution of $1,046,109 towards sports lighting upgrades within Latrobe City through the program. The lighting upgrades were delivered between December 2020 and April 2023 at the following locations:

• George Bates Oval, Yallourn North
• Ronald Reserve Oval, Morwell
• Old Trafford Oval, Traralgon
• WH Burrage Reserve Soccer Pitch, Newborough
• Northern Reserve Netball Courts, Newborough

The above sites were identified as priority projects under the Latrobe City Council Recreation Needs Assessment.

Enhancing sports facilities

Mayor of Latrobe City Council, Councillor Kellie O'Callaghan, said the lighting upgrades will create opportunities for more people to get involved in local sport. "Research indicated that the lack of lighting at local facilities was a factor that limited community participation in sports. Through delivering new lights at each site, training and competition times can now be extended and the facilities can be enjoyed for longer periods of time."

"It's going to be very rewarding to see what impact this has on sports engagement within the broader community, and we look forward to seeing local clubs, teams and individuals activate these spaces for many years to come," said the Mayor. Local businesses Kings Contracting, Ace Earthmoving and Environmental Lighting Australia have all been involved in the delivery of these projects.

Pictures from Victoria State Government | Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions website.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com