The growing ranks of the Taylors Lakes “Lakers” Football Club and Taylors Lakes Cricket Club, and the ETA Buffalos Soccer Club, will soon be preparing for the big games in stellar new female friendly pavilions.

Member for Sydenham Natalie Hutchins today inspected construction of the new sport and community hub at Delahey Reserve, made possible by a $375,000 investment from the Victorian Government’s Local Sports Infrastructure Fund.

With grassroots sports like Australian Rules football, cricket and football coming back in greater numbers as restrictions ease, growing clubs like the Lakers and Buffalos need appropriate facilities, especially for women and girls.

The new pavilion will replace two old portable change rooms, and will feature female friendly changerooms, social room, kitchen, accessible toilets, umpires’ rooms, a first aid room and storage spaces. The second pavilion provides changerooms for footballers at the reserve.

These improvements ensure the increasing numbers of junior boys and girls will no longer have to use outdated and cramped change facilities with the new areas significantly improving the environment for girls and women, providing clubs greater flexibility in scheduling practise and matches.

It’s not just local sport that benefits, with nearby schools and community groups also able to use the new pavilion for school activities, meetings and events.

The new pavilions are set to be ready for action in early 2022.

The Victorian Government has invested more than $1.1 billion in community sport and recreation infrastructure since 2014.

This includes the recent $55 million budget boost towards sports infrastructure investments to deliver new and improved community sports infrastructure across the state, with a particular focus on providing facilities to encourage participation among women and girls through the popular Female Friendly Facilities Fund.

From playspace redevelopments to pavilion upgrades, investments like these provide high-quality and accessible places for Victorians to reap the benefits of sport and active recreation participation.

They are all about creating jobs, stimulating local economies, and fast-tracking community recovery by improving the health, wellbeing, and social outcomes for Victorian communities.

Natalie Hutchins MP acknowledged Brimbank City Council for its commitment and financial contribution to the projects.

For more information about infrastructure grant opportunities available through the Victorian Government visit sport.vic.gov.au

Quotes attributable to Member for Sydenham Natalie Hutchins

“For too long clubs like the Lakers and the Buffalos have been hamstrung by outdated facilities – they deserve an appropriate female friendly and accessible pavilion they can be proud of.”

“Better sport and recreation facilities open more opportunities for participation and make it easier for Victorians to lead healthy and active lifestyles.”