MEMBER for Mildura Ali Cupper has pledged to drive “a very determined campaign” to ensure the Victorian Government fills the Mildura South Regional Sporting Precinct’s $10 million shortfall.
The new precinct, at the corner of Deakin Avenue and Sixteenth Street, is starting to take shape.
But funding has only been secured for the project’s first stage, putting a wait on outdoor netball courts, a second oval, additional changerooms and beach volleyball courts.
Ms Cupper said the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic made full funding of the project more important, citing an analysis by demographers that more than 2500 Sunraysia jobs had been lost.
“This was always a job-creating project … it was important in the first place,” Ms Cupper said.
“It’s even more important now given that we know we’ve lost at least 2500 jobs over the past few months.”
The Mildura South precinct has received $17.5 million in Federal Government money, Mildura Rural City Council on Friday upped its contribution to $11.1 million and community sporting groups have even pooled their own funds of $365,000 for the outdoor netball courts.
The State Government has to date committed $3 million and again overlooked the project when announcing its $2.7 billion Building Works coronavirus response package for “shovel-ready” initiatives.
“It’s not the sort of skin in the game we believe we’re entitled to,” Ms Cupper said.
Mildura Council on Friday added $1.6 million because of “unexpected complexity of in-ground preparation works”.
The precinct’s football oval has been flattened and the frame for the indoor component has been erected.
Council community general manager Martin Hawson said stage 1 was on track for completion early next year.
Mildura Mayor Simon Clemence, while happy with the state’s $5 million contribution to the riverfront development this week, echoed calls for the State Government to step up on stage 2 of the sports precinct.
“We certainly don’t want to be the forgotten pocket — $5 million for the riverfront is great, but another $10 million would be even greater,” Cr Clemence said.
