Ararat corridor progress
Designs are complete and Ararat Rural City Council is advertising for tenders as work to upgrade a connective corridor between Alexandra Oval and Ararat Skate Park progresses.
Council chief executive Tim Harrison encouraged Ararat district businesses to tender for work involved in the $2.26-million Alexandra Active Corridor.
He said the corridor included four separate projects – new netball courts and an upgrade of Alexandra Oval’s Olver Stand to include female and family-friendly amenities; new safety lighting in the Alexandra Gardens and skate park precinct; building of a new events space at Alexandra Oval; and new walking paths, a multipurpose ball court and a rock-climbing wall at the skate park.
Tenders for the netball court construction and lighting project have closed and the council will advertise tenders for the Olver Stand upgrade and skate park work after it finalises documents.
“One section of the project will see improved lighting in the gardens and skate park precinct featuring a mix of overhead and feature lighting, with the aim of improving safety for people who use the area in the early mornings and evenings,” Dr Harrison said.
The council was due to consider awarding the netball-court contract at last night’s July meeting.
“Once the contract is awarded, we hope to start work as soon as we can, depending on weather conditions and contractor availability,” Dr Harrison said.
He said the council was finalising tender documents for the Olver Stand and event spaces work.
“This part of the project includes restoring the stand’s façade back to its original look, and an upgrade to the rooms at the rear to house a training area, memorabilia display, family room and female-family friendly amenities,” he said.
“A stand-alone building to house a kiosk and netball administration office will also be constructed. The events space will see the removal of the red seats at the front of the Olver Stand, replacing them with terraced seating.
“There will also be areas built to accommodate pop-up marquees for events.”
Dr Harrison said the four-part project would begin at various stages with all work completed by June 2020.
The council has contributed $781,000 towards the project with the balance coming from State Government grants.
The council has already received a $750,000 grant from Sport and Recreation Victoria, $500,000 from Regional Development Victoria, and $231,000 from the Department of Justice.
“The benefits of this project are going to be enormous for the whole region,” Dr Harrison said.
“This area attracts people from right across our municipality, with football and netball players, sportspeople, families, young people and visitors using the space regularly.
“The precinct also attracts sporting clubs from outside our region, and tourists from all over Australia, so it’s really important for us to improve facilities there.”