Council & Business
4 April, 2024
Funding sought for outdoor pool and Deledio res
The $8 million Maryborough Olympic Pool Complex Project could now receive part of the required funding through a State Government grant, if successful. At March’s council meeting, Central Goldfields Shire councillors voted in favour of submitting...
The $8 million Maryborough Olympic Pool Complex Project could now receive part of the required funding through a State Government grant, if successful.
At March’s council meeting, Central Goldfields Shire councillors voted in favour of submitting two applications to the Victorian Governments’ Regional Community Sports and Infrastructure Fund (RCSIF) for a set of identified priority projects.
These submissions will outline a request for $3 million for the outdoor pool and $1 million for Stage One of the Deledio Recreation Reserve Pavilion project.
The application for the former is in addition to the current application to the Federal Government’s Living Regions Fund — of which an outcome is imminent.
If council achieves a positive outcome for the two grants, it would reduce the organisations’s borrowings for the pool project from $4 million to $1 million.
Speaking at the meeting, councillor Wayne Sproull said endorsing the applications would be advantageous to the shire.
“This is a great opportunity. If this [bid] is successful, we could see two priority projects funded,” he said.
“We all know our outdoor pool is in need of a rebuild which is extremely costly — [with this grant] we would free up [our] borrowing capacity which can be used to help fund other priority projects such as the Deledio reserve.”
According to the officer’s report, upgrades to the reserve “have been a long-standing priority for the Dunolly community”.
Presently, the report further states, “the existing club rooms are no longer fit for purpose [and] the local community envisages a complex which not only provides change facilities but can also be used to host community events and gatherings.”
Through this funding round, council is aiming to build part of that needed infrastructure, and provide for the rest once more capital becomes available in the future.
The report notes it will cost approximately $2.5 million to build change rooms, which have been identified as high priority.
“Should the council be successful in receiving a grant from both the Growing Regions Fund and the RCSIF for the Maryborough Olympic Pool Complex, this then allows council to consider $1.5 million in borrowings to enable stage one of Deledio,” the report said.
Earlier this year, in February, council also submitted applications seeking funding for 14 projects through the Victorian Government’s Regional Development Victoria Tiny Towns Fund.
The funding stream aims to support local projects in communities with a population of 5000 people or less.
The following projects were submitted:
Adelaide Lead: Install plumbing to allow water to the Hall — $9000.
Bealiba: Restore horse trough and relocate — $21,563.
Bowenvale: Playground relocation — $50,000.
Carisbrook: Tullaroop Leisure Centre upgrades including squash court restoration, main court resealing, carpet and security upgrades — $50,000.
Carisbrook: Gazebo and landscaping at Market Reserve — $21,563.
Carisbrook: Lions Club Building Repaint — $27,000.
Carisbrook: Town Hall Minor Renewal — Stonework and render repairs internally / major visual cracking — $22,500.
Carisbrook: Solar lighting along Tullaroop Reservoir — $50,000.
Dunolly: Senior Citizens Hall Renewal — Switchboard and Heating/Cooling upgrade — $31,050.
Dunolly: Playground improvements at Dunolly Netball Courts — $34,500.
Dunolly: Town Hall Minor Renewal — rejuvenating office space — $37,500.
Majorca: Fencing at Cemetery — $37,500.
Talbot: ANA Hall Restump, structural repairs, re-lay flooring, pressed metal repairs and roof repairs — $50,000.
Shire-wide: Workshops to build community capacity through skill development in grant writing, event management, governance and partnership development — $15,000.