Tuesday, 22 February 2022

Members statements

Gippsland community sports facilities

Ms SHING (Eastern Victoria) (12:44): One of the things that I see every time I am out and about in Gippsland is the significant difference that an investment in sporting infrastructure has made to the region, from Warragul Leisure Centre’s upgrades, the new courts and the improved swimming pool, through to the Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre in Traralgon, new basketball courts in Wonthaggi, the Cameron Sporting Complex for gymnastics, basketball and other sports in Maffra, and the way in which we have invested across the board in so many different sporting codes—the Cricket Centre of Excellence at the Ted Summerton Reserve in Moe, the Haunted Hills Bike Park, which is a partnership with federal government, and the Omeo pump track and bike track in East Gippsland, which again is another partnership between all three levels of government.

I cannot help but think that this is a region which is ideally placed to host just about every one of the 19 different sporting codes proposed by our exclusive negotiations for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Victoria in 2026. The focus being on regional Victoria means that we are so well placed to make the most of what we have, and I would urge anyone and everyone who is inclined to come to Gippsland to enjoy the sporting facilities that we have on offer and to see the phenomenal difference that this infrastructure investment has made to locals as well as providing us with the absolutely perfect setting to host international events and world-class competitions, the scale of which we have not seen since the early start of last century.