Kick off for soccer

By Dion Teasdale
HEALESVILLE Soccer Club’s six-year search to find a permanent home in Healesville has finally come to an end.
The State Government announced last week it would contribute $50,000 towards $320,000 worth of playing field upgrades at the Don Roads Sports Complex in Healesville.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges is contributing $220,000 to the project and the soccer club will match the State Government’s contribution.
The upgrades will include improvements to the drainage and irrigation of the number two playing oval, new topsoil and grass for the playing field and new lights for the number one oval.
The soccer club then plans to mark out a full size soccer playing pitch and separate training pitch on the 1.9 hectare number two oval in time for next year’s winter soccer season.
The State Government’s funding announcement ends the soccer clubs six-year search for a permanent home in Healesville.
As reported in the Mail in June, the club had been forced to play its senior matches at the Yarra Glen recreation reserve where there are no toilets, shelter or change rooms.
The club’s president, Barry Cripps, and treasurer, Richard McCoid, had criticised the Shire of Yarra Ranges for failing to provide adequate funding for the club to relocate to Healesville, and raised concerns about the long-term future of the club.
In July club representatives, working with Ryrie Ward councillor Jeanette McRae, met with Victorian Sport Minister Justin Madden as part of the Bracks Government’s Community Cabinet visit to the Yarra Valley.
They outlined the club’s predicament and asked Mr Madden to help the club find the $50,000 needed to allow upgrades to the oval in Healesville to take place.
Last week Mr Madden’s office confirmed a grant of $50,000 would be made available to the shire and the soccer club through the Community Facility Fund to allow ground upgrades to proceed.
Mr Cripps and Mr McCoid said the club was elated at the funding windfall.
“We have wanted to play in Healesville for the past six years and now its going to happen. The club is ecstatic,” Mr Cripps said.
“We are very grateful to the State Government, to Ben Hardman and Jeanette McRae for helping make this happen,” Mr McCoid said.
Seymour MP Ben Hardman said Mr Madden had been impressed with the club’s presentation at the Community Cabinet meeting and sympathised with its plight.
“The Minister thought it would be a great idea to help fund the upgrade project to allow the club to have a home and he worked hard to make sure this could happen,” he said.
Cr McRae said she was delighted to see the funding shortfall be met and was grateful to Mr Hardman’s persistence and the club’s patience in seeing the matter resolved.
“This is a great outcome for the soccer club and a great outcome for the local community,” she said.