We received some wonderful news for our local soccer club last week, with the State Government announcing it would contribute $500,000 towards a new pavilion and pitch lighting at Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve, from its World Game Facilities Fund. Council will also contribute $300,000 and Wonthaggi United Soccer Club will contribute $50,000 to the project. This new pavilion will include change rooms for players and referees, a meeting space, kitchen and storage, plus brand new training standard lighting on the oval, all of which will be delivered in the coming year. Soccer continues to grow across Bass Coast and so do our efforts in providing suitable facilities. This project will give the Wonthaggi United Soccer Club a home ground advantage for its growing number of junior and female members.

In some more grant news, Council will receive just under $100,000 from the State Government, to enhance our ability to deliver services remotely, including making council meetings accessible to all. We will use this funding to install Video Conferencing equipment in our meeting rooms and our Council Chamber will be fitted with the latest Audio Visual technology to enhance our livestreaming of Council meetings. This AV equipment will also enable us to hold meetings with remote participants in the future and add some exciting options to internal meetings and workshops.

The good news just keeps coming this week, with work to start on the construction of a new footpath constructed along Inverloch’s Powlett Street, between Bear Street and Sandy Mount Avenue. It is fantastic that we are seeing work start on this important community project, which will provide a much safer access route for pedestrians between the Bass Highway and the Town Centre.

I also want to congratulate all those involved in the Island Whale Festival 2019, which has been named a National Finalist in the Australian Event Awards! This is really exciting news for our region, and it is so fantastic that another wonderful Bass Coast event is receiving the recognition it deserves, and even more incredible, on a national scale.