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

Many of my colleagues will be familiar with the extraordinary number of works that the government is undertaking in Dunkley, and I want to note the progress that has been made on several key projects. Recently, I joined the new Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor, Councillor Bryan Payne, David Morris, the member for Mornington, Mr Brett Bell, the Principal of Mount Eliza Primary, and shire officials to officially mark the start of construction of the Canadian Bay Road car park. Traffic around Mount Eliza Primary, on the corner of Canadian Bay Road and Nepean Highway, has reached a critical point. These works will improve traffic management, reduce parking constraints in the area and, in particular, improve child safety, so I'm thrilled to see that the project's finally underway.

In nearby Mornington, works on Civic Reserve have reached the community consultation stage. The development plans include an athletics track for Mornington Little Athletics and new soccer pitches, to the value of $3 million in total, which will cater for a number of local users, including the Mount Martha Soccer Club, who currently train in the electorate of my neighbour, Minister Hunt. These facilities are sorely needed by all stakeholders, and I am proud to be an advocate for our local sports clubs. The Minister for Health and Minister for Sport, in my neighbouring electorate, has been a tremendous force, in both of his capacities, in attracting such funding for the Mornington Peninsula.

Heading north to Peninsula campus of Monash University, I recently opened the new Peninsula Hockey Centre, to which there was a $100,000 federal contribution. The facilities will host about 34,000 players and spectators over a year. The new hockey pitches will further build the reputation the Mornington Peninsula is acquiring as a sporting heavyweight, home to world-class facilities and teams of winners, including the Frankston Stingrays women's hockey team, who won their game the night I visited and have taught me a thing or two about the game.

Lastly, I was delighted to inspect the status of the multisports pavilion, female-friendly change rooms and the forthcoming construction of the hurdles shed in Ballam Park in Frankston. These facilities will cater for the Karingal Bulls Football Netball Club; Ballam Park Cricket Club; Frankston Athletic Club; and Frankston Little Athletics Centre. These clubs, through this contribution to the value of $300,000, will help drive women's participation in sport.

Overall, the Turnbull coalition government has contributed over $6.5 million in my electorate of Dunkley to the construction and improvement of sporting facilities. I am proud that we will soon have facilities that match the quality of our local sporting organisations and that will drive local youth engagement in sport and grow women's sport.