Construction works for the $2.8 million Trafalgar Multi-use Pavilion will begin in the new year, after Council awarded the contract for the works.
Local company Kubale Constructions was awarded the $2,491,970 (excluding GST) contract for the works following a tender process.
The project will see the construction of a new multi-sport pavilion at Trafalgar Recreation Reserve with female-friendly change rooms and amenities, umpire facilities, new storage facilities, dedicated first aid room, a boxing gym and a multi-use space.
Externally the pavilion will feature public toilets, a veranda with outdoor spectator viewing space, a canteen, accessible car parking, connecting pathways and landscaping.
The pavilion will address the immediate lack of facilities with participation tracking at 3.5 times the Victorian average (before COVID-19). The design has been developed with true multi-use flexibility and future planning in mind to service the five sporting clubs from different codes including soccer, cricket, football and boxing.
This project is jointly funded by a $500,000 grant from SRV’s Female Friendly Facilities Fund and the $2.3 million balance by Baw Baw Shire Council.
Council has developed a Project Reference Group (PRG) for this project to provide important stakeholder input and ensure the new multi-use pavilion meets user group and community needs. The group provides a structured communication channel between Council and key user groups throughout the delivery of the project.
A total of $3,200,000 was originally allocated in the budget, with the tender process creating savings of $433,030 that will be reallocated to cover Council’s contribution to the new Longwarry Early Learning Centre.
Works on site are expected from 18 January 2021 with all works due for completion by mid-2022.
Temporary changing facilities will remain on site until the project is complete.
As stated by Deputy Mayor and East Ward Cr Michael Leaney
“This project will deliver the infrastructure our community desperately needs. This project benefits both our local players and those who travel from Melbourne and the wider Gippsland region for football games, providing them with great facilities so they can focus on the game. I look forward to seeing the Trafalgar Victory Football Club continue to go from strength-to-strength once this project is complete.”
As stated by East Ward Cr Darren Wallace
“This will be a fantastic new facility for the Recreation Reserve, especially the Trafalgar Victory Football Club. The new pavilion will deliver four sets of female-friendly changerooms to service two top-quality grass pitches. A further two change rooms will be delivered for the future second oval. This is a true multi-user facility that will unlock the future potential of the Recreation Precinct and create new opportunities for the user groups to increase participation and hold more social activities.”
As stated by East Ward Cr Peter Kostos
“This project is a great outcome for the sporting clubs who support this facility, and wider Trafalgar community. We’d like to acknowledge the support of Sport and Recreation Victoria for contributing $500,000 towards this important facility upgrade. As the successful tenderer was under the budgeted amount, there’s potentially $433,030 in savings that can be carried across to deliver the Longwarry Early Learning Centre.”
As stated by West Ward Cr Tricia Jones
“This is a long-awaited project for the Trafalgar community and will deliver the change facilities our local players desperately need. Council will continue to look for further funding opportunities to deliver more facility upgrades at our recreation reserves to support our growing community and encourage greater levels of participation.”
As stated by West Ward Cr Ben Lucas
“Sport and recreation is part of the fabric of the Baw Baw Shire community, and it’s great to see two major sporting upgrade tenders awarded. I’d like to applaud the previous Council for their pragmatic approach to reallocating the remaining budget from this project and the Baxter Reserve upgrade towards the Longwarry Early Learning Centre project.”
