Sports oval drive

By Jim Mynard
EDRINGTON Ward councillor Mick Morland said Casey Council would press on with plans to build a two oval sports complex at Narre Warren North.
He said, however, that the council’s plans for the complex had been held up because a promised $500,000 State Government grant would not be available this year.
He said the Minister for Sport and Recreation Justin Madden had promised the money but reneged because of a rule that councils could not receive funding for two projects in one year.
Cr Morland said the council received funding for the Cranbourne aquatic centre but the Minister would have been aware of that.
He said that if the Minister forgot the rule when he made the promise to a meeting of the Narre Sports and Leisure Alliance (NSLA) that was his problem.
“We should have received the grant for Narre Warren North because it was promised.”
However, Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan said Casey Council was being mischievous by claiming the Minister had promised two grants in the one year for the category.
He said the council was made aware of the rule that it could receive only one grant and had made the proposed Cranbourne swimming pool its top priority.
“Casey will have to make a further application for the Narre Warren North project but it must come as a priority for that year.
“I will, however, be working hard to obtain the grant to help provide facilities on the new sports complex,” he said.
Cr Morland stressed the council would go on with the project.
“We will buy the land and develop the ovals and if necessary we will resubmit the application for funding,” he said.
Cr Morland said the application was to help fund facilities on the sports complex such as a pavilion.
The council said in a press statement that its application for important community facilities funding in Narre Warren North could be compromised because of government guidelines that prevented municipalities applying for more than one category a year.
The council, under the 200607 Community Facilities Funding Program, successfully applied for funding for the proposed Cranbourne Aquatic and Recreation Centre, and for facilities at the proposed Narre Warren North sports complex.
Casey chief executive Mike Tyler said both funding applications complied with the funding guidelines, but a municipality could apply for funding in only one category a year.
Mr Tyler said the Minister had already approved the application for the pool at Cranbourne and therefore rejected consideration of the Narre Warren North facility.
Mr Tyler said the council was nevertheless pressing ahead with designs for a twooval complex at Narre Warren North, its highest priority recreation project for the area.
The proposed site is believed to be along the Hallam Belgrave Road near the Eumemmerring Creek.