The state government has reached out to The News and engaged with our campaign for an upgrade to the Shepparton Sports Stadium.
Greater Shepparton City Council has also got involved, explaining exactly what it is doing in pursuit of funding for the stadium and basketball facilities in Shepparton.
Following an article in The News a few weeks ago that detailed a back and forth between State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe and City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali about the stadium and a potential plan for the upgrade, the state government reached out to provide a response.
In the article, Cr Sali said council had received feedback from the state government that there was no money available in the vicinity of $20-$30 million, that would be required from the state government, in the $60 million design that council had previously endorsed.
He said council was looking at grants to see what funding was available and that council was looking at a more realistic approach.
Following the article, on March 1, the premier’s office reached out to The News, unprompted, to provide a state government response.
A Victorian Government spokesperson said the state government had invested more than $213 million through the Victorian Budget 2023-24 to boost community sports infrastructure and support initiatives that improve participation and inclusion in local sports.
“We encourage the Greater Shepparton City Council to consider applying for a grant through our funding programs, including the Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund, which is now open, and to continue liaising with Sport and Recreation Victoria,” the spokesperson said.
The Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund opened in December 2023.
The four streams of the fund provide:
- Up to $3 million available to develop or upgrade multi-sport indoor courts and aquatic facilities through the Indoor Stadium and Aquatic Facilities Stream;
- Grants up to $1 million available through the Community Facilities Stream to build or upgrade sports pavilions, sports lighting, play spaces and active recreation facilities;
- Grants of up to $1 million through the Women and Girls Facilities Stream for new female-friendly change rooms or sports courts to help level the playing field;
- All Abilities Infrastructure Stream that will provide grants of up to $1 million to renovate existing facilities to ensure they are accessible for people with disability.
On Thursday, March 7, News journalist Jay Bryce met with Cr Sali, Greater Shepparton City Council chief executive Fiona Le Gassick, sustainable development director Geraldine Christou and infrastructure director Gary Randhawa.
Ms Le Gassick said she was well aware of how much the Shepparton Sports Stadium needed an upgrade.
Having previously lived and worked in the region, with family members who play the sport in Shepparton, she said it was one of her top priorities coming into the chief executive role.
“We’re going to use the existing $60 million design as a fundamental basis for a new, more realistic and achievable one,” Ms Le Gassick said.
“We’re not compromising, we’re pivoting to a more staged approach.”
Mr Randhawa said council was currently consulting with user groups and stakeholders to create this new, revised design.
He said the revised concept plan would likely be completed by June this year.
Once complete, Mr Randhawa said the new plan would go to a council meeting where, if endorsed by councillors, council would proceed with funding opportunities and advocacy.
Ms Christou said council was applying for the Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund, but it might be used for the Visy Community Centre, not the Shepparton Sports Stadium.
She said the fund required Sport and Recreation Victoria to support applications, and that Sport and Recreation had identified the Visy centre being a suitable recipient of the indoor stream.
Council were still working with Sport and Recreation to decide the most appropriate funding stream to apply for.
Ms Christou said funding for the Visy centre would go towards the facility’s toilets, flooring and roof.
This centre, located at the former Wanganui High School, is currently utilised by the Greater Shepparton Basketball Association for domestic competitions due to the four courts at the Shepparton Sports Stadium being unable to meet the demand of players and teams.
The Department of Education manages the site, and Ms Christou said the council was negotiating a joint lease with them to allow the GSBA to continue to access the Visy centre and to allow council to pursue funding to upgrade the venue.
As part of the Council Support Funding Package secured following the Commonwealth Games cancellation, Ms Christou said the council had applied for a $100,000 grant to upgrade the referee and umpire rooms at the Shepparton Sports Stadium.
She emphasised that council needed to continue to have discussions with the relevant parties and stakeholders, as well as needing up-to-date user statistics for both the stadiums.
Cr Sali said it was important to note that the previous design would never have been made possible through a grant; it would have had to be a line item in a budget or an election promise.
“We thought the Commonwealth Games cancellation was our chance, and it then became clear that the stadium did not meet the criteria for that,” he said.
“It’s not fair to ask our community to wait, and we don’t want to be having this same conversation in another 20 years.”
Show your support for our campaign by signing our petition at www.change.org/p/upgrade-the-shepparton-sports-stadium
Stand For Our Stadium: The story so far
Or reach out to us and have your say:
Contact details
News journalist Jay Bryce
5820 3195
@jaybrycenews on Instagram
Or The News desk at:
5831 2312