Football, soccer, and cricket in Drouin and Trafalgar are set for the bright lights thanks to the completion of the oval and soccer pitch lighting upgrades at Bellbird Park in Drouin and soccer pitch lighting upgrades at Trafalgar Recreation Reserve in Trafalgar.

Member for Eastern Victorian Harriet Shing today visited Bellbird Park to officially launch the lighting upgrades at both venues, made possible by a $330,000 investment from the Victorian Government.

Home to the Drouin Hawks Junior Football Club, the Gippsland Umpire Association and the Drouin Cricket Club, Bellbird Park Oval has scored four new light towers that can be boosted to 100 lux allowing local clubs to host more evening training and stage night games.

The project was made possible through a $80,000 grant through the Victorian Government’s Community Sports Infrastructure Fund.

Across the road, the Drouin Dragons Soccer Club can now practice their training drills day and night with the installation of eight LED light towers around the junior and senior soccer pitches. The bright new lighting also opens up the venue to evening competition.

The junior soccer pitch at Drouin was widened as well and now meets Football Victoria’s junior pitch standard allowing for games to be played at the venue.

The project has also delivered two additional soccer pitch light towers at the home of Trafalgar Victory Football Club in Trafalgar.

These lighting projects were made possible thanks to $250,000 from the Victorian Government’s World Game Facilities Fund.

The Victorian Government has invested more than $1.1 billion in community sport and recreation infrastructure since 2015.

This includes the recent $55 million budget boost towards sports infrastructure investments to deliver new and improved community sports infrastructure across the state, with a particular focus on providing facilities to encourage participation among women and girls through the popular Female Friendly Facilities Fund.

From playspace upgrades to new lighting, investments like these provide high-quality and accessible places for Victorians to reap the benefits of sport and active recreation participation.

Investments like these are all about creating jobs, stimulating local economies, and fast-tracking community recovery by improving the health, wellbeing, and social outcomes for Victorian communities.

Ms Shing acknowledged the Baw Baw Shire Council for its commitment and financial contribution to both projects.

For more information about infrastructure grant opportunities available through the Victorian Government visit sport.vic.gov.au

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victorian Harriet Shing

“The new sports lighting in Drouin and Trafalgar provides a real incentive for local clubs to ramp up their training and development and more members to join – it’s also going to significantly increase the amount of time that players can spend in training and competition, which has means that more people can get involved.”

“Modern, accessible and fit-for-purpose sporting facilities like these make it so much easier for our communities and families to get back into the codes that they love, and to make lifelong healthy habits and friendships along the way.”