The Mypolonga Combined Sports Club complex will undergo some major upgrades later this year.
A $1.24 million project is being covered by a $517,976 Enabling Infrastructure Program grant, an Office of Recreation and Sport $500,000 grant, a $50,000 Council investment and community fundraising efforts.
Joel Eckermann, Mypolonga Combined Sports Club President, said the government investment is the biggest infrastructure spend the district has ever seen.
“This investment … will have an incredible impact on the people of Mypolonga now, and into the future. It’s a legacy project that we can build for our kids, and even our grandkids – as we expect these infrastructure upgrades to support local sport and social activity for the next 40 years,” Joel Eckermann said.
The project will add new much needed changerooms, committee and trainers rooms, upgraded lights for extended availability and enhanced safety as an emergency staging area, a court area extension for netballers, a tennis and free recreation area and an all-ages playground.
The facility supports and services thousands of people each year, and this number is expected to grow as the upgrades help cater to more diverse groups, all ages and abilities, and dramatically increase facilities for girls and women.
Courtney Blacker from the Mypolonga Netball Club tells us the initiative has been a big multi-club effort.
“We’re very fortunate that we work well with the other codes out at Mypo, so we rallied together to bring netball, football, combined club, cricket and a bit of support from the tennis to, to bring together a major changeroom facility,” Courtney Blacker told ARN’s Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman this morning.
“Now that we’ve got this other State Government funding we’ll also be constructing some new lights for the oval, so that will take us up a level in terms of what we can do for night games and the dream is to attract maybe like a Gather Round for footy, and run some more night games for footy.”
Courtney says expects construction of the big changeroom facility to begin in September with an aim to have a working bee the day after the last game of the season, with a goal to have it completed before the next season starts in April 2025.
The courts are expected to be constructed in November. No confirmation yet on the completion of the other elements, but the lights should be erected within the next 6-12 months and the playground project will be one of the last elements to be built.
Round Two of the Enabling Infrastructure Grants Program will launch next month following the success of the first round which saw eight significant projects across South Australia’s regions offered grants between $230,000 and $1 million dollars (including half a mil for Mypolonga). Local charities, businesses, co-operatives and councils are encouraged to apply.
