Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure and Local Government, and Bill Shorten, Parliamentary Secretary for Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction, have announced the Rudd Government will offer $2 million to help redevelop the Bannockburn Recreation Precinct in Victoria.

Mr Shorten was in Bannockburn to make the announcement with Member for Corangamite, Darren Cheeseman, and Golden Plains Shire Council Mayor, Jenny Blake.

This federal funding is part of our $800 million Community Infrastructure Program - the largest one-off investment in local infrastructure in Australia's history.

Through the Rudd Government's economic stimulus package, we are investing in major projects like this to support local jobs and economies during the global recession.

The project, which is being managed by the Golden Plains Shire Council, will deliver the Stage One of the new Recreational Precinct in Bannockburn.

This development will help meet the sporting needs of a rapidly growing community. Bannockburn is transforming from rural and agricultural base to a satellite town for the industrial and commercial centres of Geelong and Melbourne.

While the population of rural and regional Victoria grew by 5.5 per cent between 2001 and 2006, Bannockburn grew by 22 per cent over the same period.

In addition, new residential development proposals are expected to add around 3,000 new residential lots in Bannockburn by 2020. As a result, Bannockburn has outgrown many of its community facilities including the local primary school and the town's recreation facilities.

The Stage One development will consist of a two-court indoor stadium, four outdoor netball/tennis courts with lighting, two tennis courts, car parking, lighting and signage.

Future stages are expected to include a wide range of sporting facilities including two football/cricket ovals and associated pavilion, cricket nets, soccer fields, a two-court indoor stadium, and an aquatic centre.

The funding announced today builds on nearly $470,000 that we have already delivered for local infrastructure in the Golden Plains Shire Council.

Nearly 70 per cent of the stimulus package is infrastructure with construction projects already underway. More than 3,000 projects are being funded through the Government's Community Infrastructure Program across Australia to support local jobs.