The new state of the art Thurgoona Oval Sports Pavilion is ready to welcome players for the home team's first games of the season this Saturday 1 April.
The sports field has been in place for over 60 years, and is primarily used by the Thurgoona Football and Netball Club during the football season. Other local users include Cricket Albury Wodonga and Charles Sturt University.
A number of improvements have taken place as a result of the development of the Thurgoona Oval Master Plan in 2007, including a new clubroom, extension to the playing surface, new netball courts, sports field lighting, playground equipment and landscaping.
However the old changerooms were no longer suited to the needs of the growing club, especially as the region sees increased female participation in sport.
In close consultation with the Thurgoona Football and Netball Club, the new sports pavilion was designed to include separate change rooms for football and netball, coach/timekeeper and administration rooms, storage areas, public toilets and undercover spectator areas.
The NSW Government supported AlburyCity to bring the $2.3m project to life with a $419,758 grant through the Stronger Country Communities Program.
AlburyCity Mayor Kylie King said the sports pavilion will improve comfort for current users, as well as opening the doors to other local user groups such as schools.
"This spectacular new building is something the Bulldogs and the Thurgoona community as a whole can be really proud of, and I'm sure will be the envy of our regional counterparts."
"I'm so pleased to see the separate changerooms for football and netball, as we see more aspiring young players showing their passion for sport."
Member for Albury Justin Clancy said, "This is another step in the remarkable growth journey the Thurgoona community has been on, ensuring we have in place the infrastructure it needs."
"The Thurgoona Football and Netball Club has done its members and all Thurgoona residents proud, working with fantastic support and backing from AlburyCity and the Stronger Country Communities Program to get the funding to make this happen."
"From my background in community football I know just what a difference these updated, well resourced and female friendly changeroom facilities will make."
Thurgoona Football Netball Club President said the club was abuzz with the hype of having the new facility ready for the first home game of the season.
"The new facility is miles ahead of the small and dated change rooms we had to work with previously, and the ability to be able to cater for football, netball and female football out of the one building is fantastic."
For more information on the project visit the AlburyCity website.
