IT is great to see some major funding come into the region for sporting venues.
But there is still much to do.
Last week’s announcement of $10 million in the State Budget for the completion of stage 2 of the Mildura South Regional Sporting Precinct, as well as the more than $700,000 to cricket facilities in Mildura, Red Cliffs and Ouyen as part of a partnership between Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria, the Australian Cricketers’ Association and players and Mildura
Rural City Council, is music to the ears of many sporting people in Sunraysia.
It will be great to see the short and long-term benefits of the Mildura South Precinct come to fruition.
Equally, the cricket projects open up so many more avenues for the long-term sustainability of clubs in that sport.
Now that funding for these projects has been ticked off, the work identifying the next projects needs to start: whether that be upgrading existing facilities in Mildura and surrounds or identifying the next big thing – such as a motorsport precinct – and truly getting the wheels rolling there.
In 3-4 years time the Mildura sporting landscape will look so much different with these recently funded projects completed but we can’t rest on our laurels there – the more investment in facilities the more people we will draw to sports.
And these participation rates will drive the overall health and morale of the community plus bring outsiders to the town, which in turn will boost our economy.
We must see continual improvements to sporting facilities if a sporting-mad region like Sunraysia is going to continue to develop.
