TAREE PICKLEBALL PROJECT GETS A BOOST
The Hallidays Point Pickleball Club has secured $5,000 in Federal funding to upgrade and improve Pickleball facilities at Taree’s Wrigley Park.
Congratulating the club on securing the funds, Federal Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie said the club would undertake $9,600 in improvements.
The project received the funding under the 8th round of the Australian Government’s Stronger Communities program which provides $150,000 in assistance towards local community infrastructure projects to each electorate across Australia.
The Club’s Sheila Capperauld said nine pickleball courts would be painted at Wrigley Park.
“Our club would like to complete the painting of the nine pickleball courts including one suitable for wheelchair pickleball at Wrigley Park in Taree with quality non-slip paint. This would include primer, line painting, painting of the main playing area and the non-volley zone in a contrasting colour.
Wrigley Park is the largest pickleball only facility in NSW. The Club recently hosted a regional tournament at the site which attracted pickleball players from across the state and interstate, delivering a boost to the local economy in accommodation and restaurant bookings.
“Through this work, the venue will also be considered for future tournaments due to its size and we want the facility to be of the highest grade, with quality painted courts.”
Dr Gillespie said this round of funding was designed to support volunteer and community groups which weren’t able to fundraise or haven’t the means to provide matching funding.
“This program has always been very popular since its inception under the former Abbott Government. In this latest round, more than 80 organisations across the Lyne electorate applied for more than $1.5-million towards over $2-million in local community projects.
This program allows groups to apply for grants of between $2,500 and $20,000 without matching funding and up to 20 groups will be awarded funding per electorate. Local governing bodies and organisations that fall under them are only eligible to apply for up to 50 percent of the project costs and provide matching funding.
Dr Gillespie said he had written to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Local Government Catherine King and the Shadow Minister Bridget McKenzie suggesting the program be continued and expanded.
“This is an important program for many local community organisations, particularly in regional and rural areas where we could have easily invested ten times the funding we were allocated locally towards community projects,” Dr Gillespie said.
“The Minister could not provide me with a commitment that future rounds would be supported only that it was a matter for the future. The Shadow Minister indicated the program would continue under a future Coalition Government.”