Ellinbank Change Room
The Ellinbank Change Room Project has officially finished after the floor coverings were installed recently. The project has been on the master plan at Ellinbank Recreation Reserve for over eight years and in real terms on a wish list for some decades.
It took fruition some six years ago at a Recreation Reserve meeting when a plan and direction was finalised.
A decision for location on centre wing preferred along with initial floor plans. Funding required was the next hurdle.
Fast forward a couple of years and many floor plan variations, the project achieved the stage of applying for State funding through the SRV Sports Grant.
The building was to be collaborated between the Baw Baw Shire and the Ellinbank Football Netball Club, with the club responsible for the project build.
The project was initially quoted to be approximately $500,000. With the club putting aside funds towards the project, along with a generous community donation from Ernie Matkovich, a life member of the club.
Together, a total of approximately $400,000, was the commitment needed to start from EFNC. With a successful $100,000 SRV grant application approved, by the State Government which included a $50,000 commitment from Baw Baw Shire towards the SRV Grant funding criteria was accomplished.
With a funding Deed document finalised and delivered allowing for a construction start date in October 2016. Our target was to be in the rooms by round 1 April 2017.
The project was to be a mammoth task, taken on by the football club and required a commercial builder to oversee and construct the project. Wayne Farnham from Farnham Built Constructions had been involved in all prior planning meetings and engaged as the commercial builder for the project.
The recreation department from the Baw Baw Shire, headed by Shayne Paynter and his team, guided the initial process and produced the Funding Deed documents required to guarantee construction stages were met and fully funded. Shire Engineer, Chris Duff, was appointed as Chief Project Engineer. With all this in place, timelines were finalised for building and completion dates.
The floor plans were governed by AFL regional guidelines for community buildings and this governed size of areas and types of room set ups, such as shower block requirements, minimum floor areas, male and female change area suitability and compliance.
With all the additional requirements added onto the building, such as new septic systems, water storage, footpaths, concreting, seating, etc., the project had grown to a total building cost of approximately $640,000.00.
The Baw Baw Shire was guarantor of the project to be finished above the initial funding requirements met by Ellinbank Football Netball Club and SRV funding. Included in the total project was the removal of the existing change rooms and subsequent construction of car parks and roadways.
A new community hub area was developed, located between the new change room and social rooms.
This has been an initiative that has been a very positive and popular game day area used for all spectators and children in a family safe car free zone.