Drysdale will receive upgraded netball courts if Labor wins the federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised during a visit this week.
The PM met with Drysdale Football Netball Club members and players on the club’s home courts at Drysdale Recreation Reserve on Tuesday, April 1.
Mr Albanese said the federal government was making an election commitment to the club of $5.45 million in funding to upgrade the reserve’s courts and facilities.
“Both netball and football will benefit from this investment. The shed’s upgrade will bring it up to scratch,” he said.
“It’s a beautiful place to live, and I’ve got to say that I’m a bit ‘jelly’ of this community. I first came here many years ago, in the early 1980s, and it’s just a stunning local backdrop.
“We want young people to get off their devices and onto the netball courts, footy fields, and tennis courts and engage with each other. Nothing beats that than team sports.
“Communities like this need facilities like this to bring a sense of pride. If you make the finals, you want to play a home game if you’ve finished in the appropriate order and this will ensure that can occur.”
Club president Trevor Hume said the reserve had fallen behind the rest of the grounds across the region and that it would be good for the Drysdale club to be able to play a grand final at home.
“We have over 300 netball members and we’d have more than that in football and then you’ve got the families, friends, carers and everybody else within the community that are involved,” he said.
“If you came down here in the middle of winter, you would identify some of the issues around lighting, but it’s also about having courts that the players can train fully on.
“At the moment the netball courts aren’t up to standard to play finals netball, so we can’t apply to hold finals or host finals at our reserve until they come up to speed. So, it’s going to mean a lot.”
Federal Member for Corangamite Libby Coker said she was “thrilled” to deliver the election commitment.
“What it will mean is that the club has two new netball courts, which will be compliant. For so long, this club has not been able to play the finals,” she said.
“We’re going to put new netball club rooms in… which is going to be a fantastic investment in this club and community, and there is also going to be new spectator seating and lighting.”
