Calling for funds to upgrade Cairns Road Recreation Reserve in Hampton Park are Hampton Park Junior Football Club president Aaron Williams, grounds committee president Erica Maliki, Casey councillor Lynette Keleher and Under 9 players Jordan, Daniel and Kieren with other club members. 48334
By Bridget Cook
A FUNDING application to help give Cairns Road Recreation Reserve, Hampton Park, the facelift it deserves has been rejected.
Casey Council put forward the master plan for the reserve as a possible project to be funded through the Federal’s Government’s Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF).
The report was assessed by the RDA committee for the Southern Melbourne region who did not support it, making it ineligible for further consideration.
River Gum Ward councillor Lynette Keleher said it had become an ongoing saga.
“We have tried various funding sources with no success,” she said.
“We seem to be missing out. Compared to other local projects, this project stands on its own. People would come to the area just to use it.”
The master plan includes a second oval, athletics facilities and improvements to run-down clubrooms. Currently, the clubrooms double up as change rooms and a roller door is used to separate teams on game day and footballers as young as Under 9s play their matches on an AFL-sized ground.
Casey Council has committed $520,000 for the first stage of the pavilion expansion, which is on council land, and was successful in receiving an additional $150,000 from the State Government to allow a community room to be included in the expansion.
To finalise the remainder of the master plan, an additional $1.775 million is required.
The majority of the works are located on Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) land.
With strict criteria for the RDAF, the council lobbied DEECD and Hampton Park Secondary College to gain support for the project to enhance the opportunity for a successful application.
Despite the efforts of council officers, no formal response was received from the regional DEECD representative.
Cr Keleher said she was discussed that they could not provide a letter of support.
“It’s appalling that we couldn’t get a response from a government department,” she said.
“I cannot believe the Education Department wouldn’t show support for this, it’s not like we were even asking for funding.”
When the News contacted the department, no response was given as to why they didn’t respond to a request for support.
“Any application for department funding would need to be considered through the normal capital works process,” a department spokesperson said.
“The department supports joint use of community infrastructure and would assist the school and the council in looking at alternate funding options.”
