Somerville: sports facilities
12-October-2011
Mr BURGESS (Hastings) -- I raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Sport and Recreation. The action I seek is that the minister visit my electorate and meet with representatives of the Somerville football and cricket clubs and Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to discuss the provision of funding to upgrade the lighting at the Jones Road Reserve in Somerville.
In a meeting on the 25 August, representatives from the Somerville Football Club outlined to me the vision they have for the creation of a day-and-night multipurpose arena at their Jones Road facilities. Thanks to the efforts of the Somerville Football and Cricket Club management, volunteers, members and sponsors, and with the very strong support of the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, the playing surface at the Jones Road Reserve is of the very highest quality.
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The clubs are now seeking to bring the lighting of their facilities up to the same high standard so that all levels of football and cricket can be played day and night.
The clubs are seeking funding to enable the construction of six 35-metre-high lighting towers, complete with lighting that will produce sufficient lux to allow all standards of football and cricket to be played at night. Installation of such lighting will allow the clubs to vastly extend the times of use of the playing facilities and thereby enable greater efficiency of use by a broader base of users.
With its central location and effective public transport, Somerville is ideally situated for the establishment of a community day-and-night multipurpose facility. Such a facility would enable cricket and football to be played on the oval during the day, at twilight and at night.
This facility would become the sporting showpiece of the Mornington Peninsula football and cricket leagues. This project would also allow local schools and athletic groups to conduct twilight and night-time carnivals and give other community groups a potential location for other outdoor events into the evening and at night.
The population of Western Port is already growing strongly, and with development of the Port of Hastings imminent this population growth is set to continue. One of the unavoidable consequences accompanying such growth is a burgeoning demand for sporting facilities, and one of the critical elements of the Somerville Football and Cricket Club's plan is the more effective and efficient use of existing facilities.
Increased participation in sporting and recreational activities by young and old is another of the many benefits of the plan.
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*** DAILY HANSARD *** PROOF VERSION ONLY *** DO NOT QUOTE ***
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Mornington Peninsula Shire Council takes a very positive approach to the provision of community sport and recreation facilities. The community is well served by chief executive officer Dr Michael Kennedy, manager of recreation and leisure Peter Gore, recreation coordinator Byron Douglas and recreation community liaison officer James Rogers.
I fully support this proposal, and I believe it will be of great benefit to the local community. It will create a nice sporting hub for the region while at the same time meeting the demand for such infrastructure, which comes with a growing population.
I therefore ask the minister to visit Somerville and meet the representatives of the Somerville football and cricket clubs and the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council to progress the exciting plans for the creation of a day and night sporting venue at the Jones Road reserve in Somerville.