Tuesday, 2 August 2022

 Ms LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (20:04): (2029) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Community Sport and concerns the redevelopment of the clubrooms and the change rooms at the Red Cliffs Football Netball Club. The action that I seek from the minister is for her to commit funding of $575 000 to Mildura Rural City Council for the construction of an extension to the Red Cliffs Football Netball Club’s clubrooms and their change rooms at Quandong Park to allow the club to provide adequate facilities for both their male and female players as well as their members and supporters.

The then Red Cliffs Football Club was founded in 1919 and joined the then Mildura and District Football League, which became the Sunraysia Football League after the Second World War. The Red Cliffs Tigers now field 12 netball teams and 10 football teams in the local competition, including the recently formed under-14 team for the youth girls football competition. The club’s current clubrooms and change room facilities were built in 1955 and have had no significant redevelopments since their original construction. A redevelopment of Red Cliffs’ facilities was included as a priority action in the Mildura Rural City Council’s Quandong Park master plan, which was released in July 2020. During the parliamentary break I visited the Red Cliffs Football Netball Club with the Liberal candidate for Mildura, Paul Matheson. With Red Cliffs being the Tigers of the Sunraysia league, I felt right at home, and it was great to meet club president Tony Marciano and vice-president Joe Pileggi to discuss the importance of this project. There is no doubt the redevelopment of the club’s facilities is desperately needed, particularly with the increased popularity of girls and women’s football at the club and the girls currently having nowhere to get changed for training on match days.

The redevelopment has been costed at $1.5 million, with both council and the football netball club contributing funding to the project. Mildura Rural City Council is seeking a state government funding contribution of $575 000 for the project, which will ensure the club will be able to properly cater for its growing female football program. I know that this redevelopment is an important issue for the entire township of Red Cliffs and for Paul Matheson, the Liberal candidate, who has asked me to raise this issue on his behalf. I urge the minister to support this grassroots country sporting club and provide the funding required.