Matt Hewson
A motion to support the North Geelong Warriors with short-term funding for maintenance of the club’s facilities was passed by City of Greater Geelong Council at its meeting on Tuesday night.
The motion was put forward by Cr Eddy Kontelj and the vote passed by 8-4, which will see the Warriors receive $47,000 for pitch and facility maintenance for the next six months.
Council will also conduct a review into its Fair Play Strategy, which aims to provide support for sporting clubs and community groups that use Council land, which North Geelong does not.
In his address to Council, Cr Kontelj stressed the importance of the club to Geelong’s sporting culture and infrastructure, and implored his fellow council members to focus on the money the City has saved over the past 55 years.
“This is about providing respect, support and funding to a community organisation that has a deep-seated history with Geelong and its community,” Cr Kontelj said.
“The North Geelong Soccer Club has operated as a community-based club for some 55 years, all without asking for or expecting any support from councils or governments.
“By scraping their pennies together and working hard they’ve developed facilities to be used by the entire Geelong community. As such, over the decades they’ve saved councils and shires millions and millions of dollars.
“While Council has rightly invested millions into supporting and maintaining sporting facilities on Council-owned land, North Geelong Warriors have gone it alone. This should be looked at, not as an expense, but as a continued saving and a wise investment in community facilities.”
North Geelong Warriors facilities manager Kruno Madjeric said the club was overjoyed that the motion had passed.
“It was huge, like winning a premiership for us, because we’ve never received that type of acknowledgement or support from Council previously,” Mr Madjeric said.
“One of the important decisions from Tuesday night’s meeting was that Council acknowledged that the Fair Play Strategy in not fair for the North Geelong Warriors. That’s actually more important than the money.
“We’d like to thank the Council, it’s a big move on their behalf. I’d like to thank Crs Kontelj, Gryzbek and Aitken for acknowledging there’s an imbalance in the system.
“The key is for Council to include us in the Fair Play Strategy. There’s ample opportunity to do that without the public being worried that Council is maintaining a private facility. The land is zoned for public outdoor recreation, it can only be used for that.”
