Sportsgrounds across Canberra are to be upgraded to make sports facilities female friendly and improve community access to training and match play.
Announcing the beginning of construction on a suite of projects, Minister for Sport and Recreation, Yvette Berry said the program for the current financial year would deliver more female friendly upgrades, improved cricket facilities, new LED lighting, and irrigation and drainage upgrades.
“In addition to significant investment in the Gungahlin Tennis Centre, Phillip Oval and the Throsby Home of Football, the current program of works sees further investment in existing sporting infrastructure,” Ms Berry said.
“This week construction commences on female friendly improvements to pavilions in Nicholls, Rivett and Kambah. Next year, Kingston Oval will also receive female friendly upgrades,” she said.
“We are upgrading facilities to include new partitions, shelves and mirrors.”
Ms Berry said the changeroom inclusions would cater to the growing participation of females in sport and provide them with the facilities they both needed and deserved.
She said that from this week, work would get underway at the dryland oval at the Holt District Playing Fields to bring it back online for future competition, standard training and match play.
“New irrigation, sportsground lighting and a playing surface will be installed providing a place for all Canberrans to keep active – or progress from grassroots to elite sport, if that’s their dream,” the Minister said.
“Once complete, this project will increase the capacity of not only the Holt District Playing Fields but also West Belconnen for more training and match play facilities for organised sport.”
She said that in the next 12 months, sportsgrounds in Watson, Deakin and Scullin would receive new lighting, while sportsgrounds in Gowrie and Higgins would have their lighting upgraded.
“This will provide greater flexibility to schedule events and enable games to be played after sunset,” Ms Berry said.
