ANY hope of Victorian Government funding in this year’s state budget for the Mildura South Sporting Precinct is likely to disappear due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Mildura councillor for sport and recreation Glenn Milne.
However, Cr Milne said there remained scope in future government stimulus packages to progress the project.
He said COVID-19 was, in some ways, an “out” for the Victorian Government, but remained hopeful the funds needed to complete the $36.5 million development would be forthcoming.
“I was never holding out much hope for it anyway,” Cr Milne said of the $10 million shortfall.
“The other side of that is that they are going to have to put money into communities to stimulate the economy, so I guess that still means that there is a need to fund some of these big projects and get some jobs happening in the smaller communities and not just Melbourne,” he said.
“It’s a bit of a two-edged sword, so it might get announced as part of a stimulus package in conjunction with the Federal Government because it is still sitting there as a shovel-ready project.
“I can’t see the state funding it — not by themselves — because there will be a run on health services and a whole lot of other areas that will require state spending.”
The State Government has so far contributed just $3 million towards the project compared to federal funding of $17.5 million.
The precinct includes a six-court indoor stadium, an AFL standard sporting oval, a new café and changerooms, dedicated squash courts and a secondary sporting oval.
However, Cr Milne said the State Government “rightly so” had far bigger issues to worry about at the moment.
“Everyone wants to be looked after, but I think we need to be a bit more humane and practical about what’s going on and we need our leaders to do what’s best for the community in general at the moment,” he said.
“There is some pretty deep concern out there among the business owners, so, first things first.
“It’s just a great unknown out there at the moment, but we’re all in it together.
“Everyone is going to feel it one way or another and there’s not going to be a lot of winners out this at all.
“We just have to knuckle down and get through it and see what we’re left with at the end.”
