Sport
15 July, 2024
Deledio Reserve committee delighted to secure funding after years of working and waiting
It was the announcement the people of Dunolly had waited in excess of 20 years for, and now the Deledio Sports Recreation Reserve committee have finally had their say about succeeding after years of effort. A big year for all the tenants of Deledio...
It was the announcement the people of Dunolly had waited in excess of 20 years for, and now the Deledio Sports Recreation Reserve committee have finally had their say about succeeding after years of effort.
A big year for all the tenants of Deledio Reserve was made even bigger by Thursday’s announcement that they would be the recipients of a $1 million grant.
In a year where Laanecoorie Dunolly took their fifth consecutive premiership, as well as preparing for their 50th anniversary as a club, while the Dunolly Football Netball Club moved into the top four on the senior football ladder, while also welcoming a new and improved netball court for the club’s cohort of netballers, Thursday’s announcement of much-needed state government funding perhaps trumped all of those achievements.
Deledio Sports Recreation Reserve committee’s Sonya Richards-Stuart opened up about the announcement, and couldn’t hide her excitement.
“We are so excited about it. This is going to enable to first stage, perhaps the entire construction of the building,” she said.
“The community has been needing this upgrade of the new facility for about 20 years now. The committee of management, the Deledio Reserve sports committee and sub-committee has been working with Martha Haylett MP, the shire and mayor Liesbeth Long. It’s all coming together and we’re really elated about it.”
It’s been a big effort from the tenants of the club, as well as the Deledio Reserve committee to help generate new and improved facilities for each of its tenants.
Early in 2023, a new scoreboard was funded by the Laanecoorie Dunolly Cricket Club, who contributed over $100,000 to the project, as well as investments from the Victorian Government Local Sports Infrastructure Fund and support from the Bendigo Community Bank Maldon and District branch.
That was the first stage of the project, with the new netball courts opened in May thanks to $970,000 of upgrades.
Now, the big fish that the town has always wanted has finally been lured, with female-friendly change rooms and accessible, fully-compliant facilities, including a new kitchen, umpires rooms and trainers rooms on its way.
Richards-Stuart said there were times of worry, particularly when two big pushes to secure funding was defeated through election results in 2022, while watching other clubs secure facility upgrades.
“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, but we have stood and continued working with the council and Liesbeth. Martha has been so good, she’s worked with us, and we’re happy with what she’s achieved and what we’ve achieved. Past members of our committee have kept working towards this as well,” she said.
“The future is looking really good, whereas in the past we were worried. We kept working towards this. The squeaky wheel gets oiled eventually, that’s the saying. We couldn’t have done it without everyone. Liesbeth has been fabulous. Kim Chamberlain has been terrific too.
“Liesbeth’s been really passionate and has pushed it all. She has come to our meetings and has been a driving force behind it.
“Kath Ryan has been terrific as the secretary for the committees of management and the Deledio sports committee. She’s been a great driving force.
“There’s been plenty of people on the committee that have been driving this.”
Richards-Stuart said it was a triumph of continuing to work hard despite their setbacks across the journey.
“We’ve been disheartened and we’ve been waiting. The other clubs were deserved as well, and we knew that our time would eventually come, but we were getting restless. But we stood strong and kept trying,” she said.
“We had been worried. The state government hadn’t been as financial as they previously had been, but we held out that it was our town and we kept pushing until they finally decided it was our turn.”
The committee will now eagerly await to see whether they will receive federal funding to help construct the facility, which would strengthen the reserve more than ever.
“We just kept working with the council, had plenty of meetings behind the scenes, and worked with Martha. We’ve had Angela Ang from the Welcome Record step on board and has helped negotiate meetings. It’s been a combined effort,” Richards-Stuart said.
“The council has been terrific, putting in grants for us, and we’re holding out hope there may be another one coming our way federally, but we’ll wait and see about that. It would be awesome if we got that.
“We need a fair bit. We won’t get the original building, but we’ll get something that will work well. It won’t just be a sporting building, but a community building as well.
“I’ve seen five different plans. They have made a plan, but it could change again depending on whether we get funding from the federal government or not. We’re working with the shire for a plan, and we’ll be guided for them.”
The news is a massive boost for the facilities’ tenants, according to Richards-Stuart, with Laanecoorie Dunolly gunning for a sixth consecutive A grade premiership in their 50th anniversary in the 2024/25 season, while the Eagles are currently in the top four and in the frame to compete for their first football flag in the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football Netball League since 1969.
“It’s going to cement us as a driving force, and it’s great that the council has thrown their support behind us,” she said.
“It’s a growing community, and it’s not just a sports facility, but it will be a great community asset. It’s good that we’re going to be around for more than 20 years.
“This will be great for many generations, not just for us, but all the other teams around the district who will be using the facility, and it will be fantastic for the whole region.
“It’s been a battle, but there’s a lot of passionate people, but the backbone of the community keeps us going, and we wouldn’t be going on without them.”