Longwarry seeks council funding

A wish list of improvements at the Longwarry Recreation Reserve has been identified to Baw Baw Shire Council.

Longwarry Football Club president Steven Tuite presented a submission to council’s special meeting last week to hear community submissions on its draft budget.

Mr Tuite said the user groups within the recreation reserve had been very active in raising funds or seeking external funding for projects at the reserve.

But, he said, there had been no shire investment in facilities for the past 20 years.

Mr Tuite said had read about money being allocated to Yarragon, Neerim South, Buln Buln and Nilma in recent times and was happy to see the investment in recreation.

“I also look on with envy at the money being poured into facilities in Drouin and Warragul.

“But no capital has been spent on our ground for 20 years,” he said.

Mr Tuite acknowledged the current council and officers were working more closely with the committees.

A wish list outlining priority projects for the reserve was outlined.

At a minimum, Mr Tuite said new lighting, a ground upgrade, fencing and covering the open drain were priorities.

Mr Tuite said the lighting upgrade was crucial. He said players currently trained under 25 Lux lights, which was “insane.”

He said if they had better lighting the club could host night matches and have more fundraising opportunities.

Works on the ground should include drainage and a new playing surface.

Mr Tuite said covering the open drain was a serious safety issue and he was surprised the drain could exist in its current state in a sporting precinct where there are young children.

Mr Tuite said fencing also was needed. “What was once paddocks is now residential and left us exposed to break ins, rubbish being dumped and people getting into the ground for free on game day.”

Other works identified were and junior/cricket ground, new clubrooms, new scoreboard and storage facility.

“I realise that the club needs to be responsible for some of the wish list items as well, but we would love to work with the shire on best way to get these items addressed,” he said.

Mr Tuite said Longwarry was a great community and the recreation reserve had a lot of hard working members.

He said the club had spent countless amounts of money and volunteer time in maintaining and upgrading the facilities which Baw Baw claim as one of their own.

He said there were seven junior and senior football teams, six netball teams, a fishing club and seven teams in the cricket club.

Mr Tuite said new netball courts were developed in 2008 with funding assistance from the Bendigo Bank.

He said damage was caused to the courts with heavy trucks parking on them during Black Saturday. He said the shire resurfaced the courts last year as another “stop gap method.”

Mr Tuite said the netball court also had worked with the shire and received a Latrobe Valley Authority grant to upgrade fences and security. “Even the Latrobe Valley spend money in Longwarry.”