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Thursday, 7th May 2009

$7 Million Towards Eastern Recreation Precinct


Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure and Local Government, and Alan Griffin, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, have announced the Rudd Government will offer up to $7 million towards the Eastern Recreation Precinct in Wantirna South in Melbourne.


Minister Griffin was in Wantirna to make the announcement with the Mayor of Knox City Council, David Cooper.


The $27.65 million project, which is being managed by the Knox City Council, will provide a centre for soccer and basketball. It will also serve as a first-class sporting facility for the eastern region of Melbourne and surrounding areas.


The precinct will support about 360 jobs during construction and ongoing employment for 50 full-time staff. In addition, it is projected to directly inject more than $15 million a year into the local economy.


The soccer-related components of this upgrade will help position it as a Football Federation Victoria 'Centre for Excellence'.


The Eastern Recreation precinct will also serve as the headquarters of Basketball Victoria and Knox Basketball Inc and help encourage development of professional and recreational basketball.


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 plan, we are investing in major projects like this to support local jobs and economies during the global recession.


The Precinct will include:



  •  A state-level facility to host international, national, state and regional events;

  •  Six multi-purpose indoor sports courts;

  •  Show court with seating for 3,500 people to cater for local, regional, national and international competition in basketball, netball, badminton, table tennis and futsal;

  •  Two all-weather synthetic soccer pitches and associated club room facilities to meet the growing demand for soccer - which has grown by 73 per cent in a three year period from 2003 to 2006.


The location of the Precinct is central to 14 basketball associations with more than 43,000 registered participants.


This funding builds on more than $1 million that the Rudd Labor Government has already delivered for three local projects in Knox City Council this year.


Nearly 70 per cent of the stimulus plan 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.


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Electorate Office

334a Marrickville Rd
Marrickville NSW 2204

Phone: 02 9564 3588

Parliament House Office

Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: 02 6277 7700

Phone: (02) 9564 3588
Fax: (02) 9564 1734
Email: A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our offices stand and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the sorrow of the Stolen Generations and the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also recognise the resilience, strength and pride of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Authorised by Anthony Albanese. 334a Marrickville Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204.

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