Lara's sporting community has received a welcome addition to the town's sporting precinct with the unveiling of a new, accessible, multi-sport and gender-neutral pavilion, adjoining two new netball and two redeveloped tennis courts.
In addition, the project, as part of the implementation of the Lara Recreation Reserve Master Plan, includes the installation of LED sports lighting to all netball and tennis courts, as well as with the construction of pedestrian-access and landscaping to the immediate area.
The developments come thanks to a $2.35 million commitment from the City of Greater Geelong, with the Victorian Government providing a further $400,000 through the Local Sports Infrastructure Fund ($250,000) and the Country Football and Netball Program ($150,000).
The existing Lara Tennis Club building will, in time, undergo refurbishment and be used for storage.
Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan
The developments will provide important community assets for many Lara residents interested in playing tennis and netball. There's no question that the construction of a new, modern, accessible facility will be of enormous benefit to sportsmen and women across the Lara community and throughout the northern suburbs. Lara continues to grow at a rapid rate and facilities of this kind will consolidate the sports precinct as an appealing place to participate and socialise after the game. The Tennis Club has certainly outgrown the previous facility, so the new pavilion will provide a very attractive drawcard for the expanding sporting community.
Windermere Ward Councillor Kylie Grzybek
The facilities will play a vital role in assisting community members to come together. Sporting clubs are an integral part of our community and their capacity to bring people together for shared, positive experiences is well known. Supporting Lara's sporting clubs by providing a new social space, along with modern changerooms and state-of-the-art playing courts is vital. In addition, the accessibility features of this new pavilion will go a long way to making it a welcoming place for Lara residents to reconnect over their shared enjoyment of sport.
Member for Lara Ella George
I congratulate the Lara Tennis and Netball Clubs and the wider Lara sporting community. This new facility will benefit a growing number of people in the Lara community who want to get involved in their local netball and tennis clubs. These facilities at Lara Recreation Reserve are a great example of how the State Government is making sport and recreation more accessible, welcoming and inclusive for all Victorians. I'm so proud that the State Government's sports grants programs are giving communities like Lara the facilities they need so more locals can play the sports they love.
