Funding announcement for changerooms upgrade a 'game changer'
Published on 15 July 2024
Vital upgrades to Simpson Recreation Reserve’s 50-year-old changerooms will go ahead after the project was awarded State Government funding last week.
The $1.39 million project led by Simpson Recreation Reserve Committee received $1 million from the Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund.
The Recreation Reserve Committee will contribute $40,000 to the project, with Council contributing $100,000, Simpson Football Netball Club $115,000, and Simpson Cricket Club $10,000.
The new changerooms will be a multipurpose facility featuring accessible changerooms for home and away teams, an office and trainers’ room, medical room, two umpire’s rooms, a briefing room and storage areas.
Simpson Recreation Reserve Committee Secretary Michele Fratantaro said the committee was “pretty stoked” by the successful funding announcement.
“The current rooms have been described as up there with some of the worst in the Colac and District Football Netball league,” she said.
“It’s huge for the entire community, not just the football netball club.
“There’s the cricket club, the Heytesbury Show and lots of other little groups who use the rec reserve, as well as more people camping and coming to stay.”
Ms Fratantaro said changeroom upgrades were highlighted as a top priority four years ago when Corangamite Shire developed a master plan for the municipality’s recreation reserves.
“We put a lot of planning work in and have been waiting for the right funding streams and grant opportunities to come up.
“Our first application was unsuccessful, so we worked with the Shire to make some changes to this second application.
“It wouldn’t have been able to come to fruition without all of us working together as a community,” she said.
Ms Fratantaro said one of the aims of the project was to create female-friendly changerooms.
“When we first went for the initial funding, we didn’t have a female cricket or football team.
“Now we have a female cricket side, which is great, but we’ve got nowhere to put them.
“It became really evident that new rooms were needed and that this project needed to go ahead,” she said.
Simpson Football Netball Club President Bree Jones welcomed the funding announcement.
“It’s very exciting, I haven’t been able to sleep since receiving the news!”
“To have these rooms upgraded and modernised is just as wonderful for the players and league umpires as it is for the volunteers of our club.
She said the announcement was a pat on the back to the football netball club committee who worked hard to raise and save funds towards the project.
“It will be exciting to see the build include a separate space for a medical room, which is very important for player safety during football/netball season.
“I would like to think we are now in contention to host some finals out here in Simpson with the new changerooms, which will complement our community hub building,” she said.
Mayor Kate Makin said the funding announcement was a “game changer” for the community.
“These upgrades will make such a difference to everyone who uses the Simpson recreation reserve.
“Well done to the volunteers who have put in all the work to get the project to this stage and thank you to the State Government for the major funding contribution,” Cr Makin said.
“Council will continue to advocate for funding for similar upgrades to Skipton recreation reserve.”