By Mikayla van Loon
The construction of a new sporting pavilion at Pinks Reserve in Kilsyth is one step closer after Yarra Ranges Council voted to approve the selected builder and contribute more funding to the project.
Tender applications were received from four pre-qualified suppliers from the Construction Supplier Register but ultimately council officers awarded the contract to Newpol Construction.
While budgeting for the project had already been done, the council has had to increase the funding amount due to ongoing costs related to the inflation of construction materials.
An extra sum of $545,909 will be put towards the building of the pavilion, made up of excess funds from other projects.
$300,000 will come from the State Government Growing Suburbs Fund allocation for the council’s Climate Resilience Buildings Program and $245,909 from the Capital Expenditure Program Asset Investment Reserve after $1.5 million was contributed by the Federal government towards the Powelltown pavilion freeing up council funds.
The total tender value has not been disclosed to the public, as it contains commercially sensitive information but the value of the project was originally estimated at $5.2 million.
Moving the recommendation to approve the tender and budget alterations at the Yarra Ranges Council meeting on Tuesday 28 June, councillor David Eastham said this was an important project for the shire and the Kilsyth community.
“This is a significant site for the Yarra Ranges and particularly the Kilsyth community,” he said.
“We do need to call out that the existing facilities at Pinks Reserve are in poor condition and do not conform to current codes or standards, so to me that’s the big underlying piece there.”
Cr Eastham also said by providing this funding and support, the pavilion would cater for football, netball, cricket and other community needs for at least the next 50 years.
“It will provide that permanent home for sport and recreation groups within Kilsyth and surrounding areas, while complementing the existing facilities in the reserve and that broader community area,” he said.
Councillor Sophie Todorov seconded the motion and said she was excited to see these types of community sporting pavilions come to life.
“They provide so much multi-purpose use for the whole community, it’s not just sport and I see with this application too, they are looking to use it as an emergency relief centre too, hence it makes it easier for us to justify and support the funding that will be allocated,” she said.
Knowing how much the community and sporting clubs have contributed to the building of this new pavilion themselves, Cr Todorov said she fully supported the council’s increased contribution.
The councillors voted unanimously to approve the recommendation.
