The Program is designed to build and upgrade community sports facilities across the state. The investment aims to support local sporting clubs, create jobs, and boost Victoria’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

After consultation with community groups and Sport and Recreation Victoria, Council applied for a grant of $2,260,000 to support for the Foster Indoor Stadium Redevelopment project.

It also lent its support to an application by Wellington Shire Council for a grant of $5,850,000 for the Great Southern Rail Trail (GSRT) Welshpool to Alberton Extension project, which will join the Tarra Trail to the existing Leongatha to Welshpool section of the GSRT. Council already has funding to extend the GSRT from Leongatha to Korumburra and is hopeful of securing support to get the trail all the way to Nyora.

Foster Indoor Stadium Redevelopment 

The Foster Indoor Stadium Redevelopment project is an extensive upgrade to a current facility located at the Foster Showgrounds. A revised cost plan has the total project cost estimated at $2,513,000. 

The multi-use stadium supports a range of sporting groups including basketball, the Football Netball Club and badminton as well as a gymnasium. There is also extensive well-established community use of the facility by the University of the 3rd Age, Craft Market, Show Society, and local school groups. 

The project will include providing a compliant basketball court, changeroom upgrade, dry program area, meeting rooms, kitchen/kiosk, storage space, exterior building beautification and formalised carparking. The facility has been designed to align to the various guidelines including the Netball Victoria Facility Manual and Female Friendly Infrastructure Guidelines. Unfortunately, the Stadium is no longer fit for purpose. 

The court does not meet minimum compliance standards for basketball and the changeroom facilities are not accessible or well designed. The entry and other spaces lack storage and are not adequate to meet community need. The Foster Football Netball Club which plays netball on the outdoor courts adjacent to the stadium facilities has no access to female change room facilities and this project enables equal access to changeroom facilities as required by the league and Netball Victoria. 

On the 27 June 2018, Council endorsed an application of $1M for the project to the 2018/2019 Better Indoor Stadium Fund. The application was not approved and therefore the project has not been able to progress, as there has not been a funding program for which it was considered eligible.

It is hoped that this new grant application will be successful.