Saturday 3 August 2019

The Victorian Government is boosting local sporting facilities in the Latrobe Valley with a new multi-purpose, female friendly match day pavilion completed at the Willow Grove Recreation Reserve.

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing officially opened the new $800,000 facility today made possible through the Victorian Government’s $5 million Community Managed Places (CMP) program, the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) Community and Facility Fund (CFF), funding from Baw Baw Shire Council and supported by Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV).

The new multi-purpose match day pavilion features two female friendly change rooms, a dedicated umpire change room, first aid room, accessible toilets and family change room, a storage area, and a new safe and comfortable community gathering space within the pavilion.

Complementing the new pavilion, the recreation reserve also secured a further $86,250 from the LVA’s CFF for construction of a storage shed and installation of an oval irrigation system.

Facility upgrades have now been completed on ten of the sixteen projects allocated across nine local recreation reserves in the Latrobe Valley backed by the CMP program and over 160 community projects have benefitted from the LVA’s CFF grants program.

The Victorian Government’s CMP fund forms part of the $85 million Latrobe Valley Sports and Community Initiative administered by the LVA and delivered by DELWP in partnership with local government.

For more information on the Community Managed Places program visit www.lva.vic.gov.au/latrobe-valley-sports-community-initiative.

Quote attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio

“The Victorian Government is committed to working in partnership with local government and volunteer managed recreation reserves to improve facilities and increase community participation in sport, particularly female participation.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing

“This is a fantastic facility that will help increase participation to this small rural sporting community, particularly amongst women and girls.”

“The upgrades will be of great benefit to the six user groups, particularly Hill End and Grove Rovers Football Netball Club during the current football netball season and to the tennis club.”

“We want all members of the community to have access to quality recreation facilities throughout the Latrobe Valley and the completion of this new pavilion at Willow Grove is a great step towards achieving that.”