Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In Dunkley we are so fortunate to have a strong sporting culture and fantastic facilities to help our local sporting clubs thrive. So last Saturday it was my privilege to join Mornington Peninsula Shire Council mayor, Councillor Bev Colomb, Mornington Peninsula Netball Association president Debbie Brown, as well as hundreds of players, parents, committee members and others at Elsie Dorrington Reserve to officially open the new blue, Plexipave resurfaced Mornington netball courts, complete with new competition standard lighting and fencing for all courts. The netball courts now meet Netball Victoria court standards and have been equipped to host night games. This upgrade is due to a $500,000 investment in the project by the federal coalition government. In addition to funds from the Victorian state government, the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and the Mornington Netball Association, it is part of a wider $6-plus million federal government commitment made prior to the federal election last year to support the growth of sport on the Mornington Peninsula, particularly to support young people and to grow women's sport. This package is a fantastic investment in grassroots sport for the region. Netball courts like these are where Australia's future sporting stars are born and allow for our sporting clubs to thrive and expand.

Minister Nash noted that the upgraded sporting facilities will benefit the Mornington community by potentially attracting significant events such as finals and regional sporting events. We know that many sporting champions, including AFL and AFL women's players, league level basketball players and so many others, have grown up with and developed through our local sporting clubs and that having these local facilities is integral to sourcing local talent and helping people on the peninsula achieve their full potential, not to mention the greatly improved safety for users of those netball courts, given the amount of grazes and injuries that occurred on the former gravel courts. The outcome of this project will benefit 15 clubs, including 142 teams and over 1,400 players, as well as thousands of additional local families.

The benefits of this upgrade and the peninsula sports package in total are immense and will not only help promote our local talent to the rest of the country but ensure that sport is something that is fostered and valued within our community. We have seen a huge increase in participation in local sporting clubs, particularly by women recently, so having the best facilities we can for the Mornington netball courts and elsewhere will I hope see participation in all sports across the peninsula increase further. I look forward to seeing our community and the region utilising and enjoying these excellent new courts in Mornington.