Construction of the new Barclay Street sports ground and community pavilion in Eden is complete and ready for use, with a formal opening event planned for next year.
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Council's leisure and recreation manager, John Grady said it was fantastic to see the sporting and community pavilion completed on time and before Christmas.
"The many sporting clubs and others in the community who use and value the playing grounds have dedicated themselves to working closely with us and we couldn't be more pleased with the result," Mr Grady said.
The new pavilion includes all abilities access, change rooms, a kitchen and kiosk, public toilets, clubrooms, community space and internal storage. The old sporting pavilion will be demolished in the new year.
This is the final phase of the NSW Government's Stronger Country Communities Fund R2 ($654,000) project to revitalise the Barclay Street sports ground. Other elements included new oval floodlighting and spectator seating.
A further $226,000 was provided by the Australian government through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. This program supports local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia, supporting jobs and the resilience of local economies to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bega Valley Shire Council also provided $185,000 in funding.
Mr Grady said the building design incorporated features based on learnings from the Black Summer bushfires.
"The new building is much better equipped to support the use of the site as an evacuation area in the future if needed; as well as supporting the needs of sports clubs and community events," Mr Grady said.
"Additional contributors also came on board, with generous input from a number of private and public entities, making a significant difference to the outcome."
Member for Bega, Andrew Constance said this project is another great example of the benefit the Stronger Country Communities fund has had in delivering much needed community infrastructure in regional areas.
"This fund has taken some of the pressure off local government and local community sporting groups to deliver projects that build stronger and more resilient communities," Mr Constance said.
Federal Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain welcomed the completion of the pavilion.
"The new pavilion will receive a wide range of use from sporting clubs to community groups and it's fantastic to see it come to fruition for the benefit of our community," Ms McBain said.
Council acknowledges the support of Wentworthville Leagues Club's Unite and Raise fund, the Business Council of Australia, Brent Dunne Design Eden, Acora Reneco, Newscorp Australia and Forestry Corporation of NSW.
Contributions made by many others who donated funds or in-kind services to the project were also acknowledged by council, and included Lawrence & Hanson Electrical, Pambula, Greg Eastman Electrical, Bega, Rob Barkem, Eden Whalers Football Club and Contact Tiling.
"Council and the users of the site really appreciate the efforts of all involved in delivering a great outcome. We are looking forward to planning a formal opening in the new year," Mr Grady said.
The new pavilion is a key element in the realisation of the Barclay Street complex masterplan, which includes an upgrade to the soccer clubhouse, a major upgrade to the skatepark, the construction of a new all-inclusive playspace, the establishment of a set down area for the cruise ship shuttle bus service, a memorial garden and a network of pathways to link these disparate recreational elements together.
Further elements of the sports ground masterplan are expected to be delivered by late 2022.
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