Sarah Oliver
New light will shine on Blackwood Drive Recreation Reserve after the installation of new sports lighting was completed on February 16.
Melton MP Steve McGhie and Melton mayor Goran Kesic officially switched on the energy efficient LED lights at Oval 1 which was completed after the $251,000 joint funding from council and the state government.
The new lighting meets both AFL Preferred Facilities Guidelines for use and Australian Standard 100 lux levels.
The Melton Junior Football Netball Club and the Melton Centrals Cricket Club both call the reserve home, and the ground is also used for Auskick.
In total, more than 700 players use the reserve, and with a growing number of girls signing up to play footy and cricket, it was getting hard to schedule training and matches.
“These lights give the Bloods and Centrals greater capacity to welcome new members, and hone the skills of their players so they can win more premierships,” Mr McGhie said.
“Sport and active recreation play a vital role in strengthening and bringing together growing communities like Melton South, and boosting people’s physical and mental wellbeing.”
The new lights mean the time the oval can be used will significantly increase to give clubs more flexibility and capacity to accommodate the needs of the growing community.
“Our objective with this project was to ensure we provided our residents with safe, gender equitable and all-inclusive sporting facilities where people will feel welcomed, and are encouraged to participate in local sport,” Cr Kesic said.
“With the enhancement and improvement of community-based amenities, we hope to see a rise in participation from residents of all ages and backgrounds, which will lead to positive outcomes for overall health, wellbeing and social connections for our diverse community.”
The project was also developed in conjunction with recreation facility user groups including Riddle District Football Netball League.
