East Gippsland Shire Council has won the Parks and Leisure Regional Award for the Best Regional/Rural Industry Contribution Award for the Bairnsdale Sporting Facilities Plan. The award ceremony was held on Thursday, May 16 at the Parks and Leisure Australia Victoria/Tasmania State Conference on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Bairnsdale Sporting Facilities Plan provides a long-term plan for the development of recreation facilities in Bairnsdale, and importantly, has community input and support and won the award for its understanding of the community’s sporting needs and its solution focus.
Deputy Mayor Cr John White said a key to the success of the development of the plan was that local clubs and organisations participated in an enthusiastic, open minded and positive manner.
“Council is grateful to the leaders of these clubs for their involvement. As a result, we now have a strategic direction of sporting facility and public open space investment in Bairnsdale for the next 15 years,” Cr White said.
“This has already paid dividends with recent grant funding success for the installation of lighting at the WORLD sporting fields, and the Lucknow netball court and clubroom upgrade.
“The Facilities Plan project had a clear objective of increasing participation in sport and active recreation in Bairnsdale and more broadly in East Gippsland.
“The plan provides direction on where investment, effort and advocacy should be focussed into the future,” Cr White said.
The project was partially funded through Sport and Recreation Victoria which participated in the process.
The project has is now entered in the national awards to be announced in Perth in October.
PICTURED ABOVE: Deputy Mayor Cr John White accepting the Parks and Leisure Regional Award for the Best Regional/Rural Industry Contribution Award for the Bairnsdale Sporting Facilities Plan award on behalf of East Gippsland Shire Council at the Parks and Leisure Australia Victoria/Tasmania State Conference held on the Mornington Peninsula last week.
