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Thursday, 4 April, 2019
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Scott Nimmo and Belinda Wouters from the Pakenham Little Athletics club have slammed the facilities as "embarrassing". 191950
Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Sporting millions By Nick Creely The Pakenham senior and junior football clubs, as well as the Pakenham Little Athletics and Pakenham Pumas Baseball Club have been boosted by a $4.5 million investment from the Liberals Nationals Government, despite some uncertainty as to where the funds will be allocated. La Trobe MP Jason Wood has confirmed that he will invest $3 million to deliver the junior football club redevelopment project, as well as upgrades to the athletics and baseball facility, and a further $1.5m to the football and netball club extension. However, confusion and speculation reigned on social media as to whether the allocation of the $4.5 million would be spread to all user groups of Toomuc Reserve. An initial media release from Mr Wood on
28 March stated that he would deliver $4 million for "Pakenham senior football netball club and Pakenham junior football club", with no mention of the other user groups that use Toomuc Reserve, but put an end to the confusing by telling the News that all user groups of Toomuc Reserve will benefit, not just the football and netball club. The investment comes as a relief for Scott Nimmo from the Pakenham Little Athletics Club, who has slammed the facility that it uses as the club gears up for its 50th year, labelling it as "embarrassing". "We've outgrown ourselves - it's one of the fastest growing corridors in the country, and you go anywhere else, there's a state of the art athletics track within 10 kilometres, and here, there's nothing," he said. "It's hugely embarrassing - we have an an-
nual event between us and Cranbourne and the amount of times we've spoken to parents who have visited, and they've been like 'are you kidding?'" IYU Recreational Reserve will be the eventual home of the Little Athletics club, with further development of the complex on Henry Road set to take place over the next two years, paving the way for the baseball club to solely have used of the upgraded facility at Toomuc once works are completed. Despite rumours that IYU Recreational Reserve would be turned into a "full soccer facility", Cardinia Shire Council acting general manager Kristen Jackson said that something does need to be done about the facilities for the athletics and baseball clubs in the shirtterm, and confirmed that the long-term future of the athletics club lies at IYU Recreation Reserve on Henry Road.
"Council acknowledges the needs of the athletics and baseball clubs have expanded beyond the capacity and facilities available at Toomuc Recreation Reserve," she said. "To meet the immediate and short-term needs of these clubs, council has been investigating solutions to improve the amenities at the reserve, particularly the toilet facilities. "We are also addressing the longer-term need for a larger athletics facility as part of the masterplan for the further development of IYU Recreation Reserve on Henry Road, Pakenham. "Council will be considering a budget allocation for the detailed design and implementation of the proposed athletics facility at IYU Recreation Reserve as part of the draft five-year Capital Works Program currently being developed."
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