Goulburn will soon become the home of national and state hockey championship matches and tournaments with local facilities to be upgraded to elite competition standard, thanks to funding from the NSW Government.
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman and Goulburn Mulwaree Council Mayor Bob Kirk today announced the NSW Government will provide $3.8 million to Goulburn Mulwaree Council towards the upgrade of the Goulburn Regional Hockey Facility.
Mrs Tuckerman said the funding to Goulburn Mulwaree Council will allow for an upgrade of the facilities to championship event standard, benefiting local players as well as attracting visitors to the region.
“Goulburn has a proud history when it comes to professional and social hockey participation and this funding will secure the future of the sport in the region, allowing players to keep on playing and also encouraging newcomers to join,” Mrs Tuckerman said.
“These upgrades will bring the facility standard to State and National hockey championship requirements and the events that it will be able to host will potentially generate up to $1.6 million per annum for the region.
Clr Kirk said the project includes the construction of a national level water based field, installation of new field lighting, men’s and women’s player change rooms, more player and public amenities, multi-purpose rooms and a 132-capacity sealed car park.
“The ability to host state and national events means teams, their supporter’s and spectators will be travelling to Goulburn, which is great news for the local economy with heads on beds and money spent in local restaurants, cafes and shops.”
Goulburn District Hockey Association President, Nadine Ward, welcomed the announcement.
“Goulburn Hockey is very thankful to the NSW Government and Goulburn Mulwaree Council for all the legwork to secure the funding and get this project off the ground.”
“We have been hoping for this day for a while now, so to now have the support for the future of hockey in Goulburn and the Southern Tablelands region is a relief, to say the least.
“Our hockey community also deserves a massive thank you for their support and patience. To have a permanent home for hockey is a great relief and wonderful opportunity for us all – very exciting times ahead!” Ms Ward said.
Mrs Tuckerman said the $500 million Growing Local Economies Fund is delivering the infrastructure the industries and communities of regional NSW need to improve productivity, expand business operations and boost employment.
“We know that building the right facilities helps develop strong athletes and stronger communities, creating pathways to the elite level for future sporting heroes, providing more opportunities for social participation and boosting community pride,” Mrs Tuckerman said.
“This project will help stimulate the local economy by providing work for local tradespeople and suppliers and I thank the Goulburn Mulwaree Council and Goulburn District Hockey Association for their support and significant financial contributions to this project.”
“Our investment through the $1.7 billion Regional Growth Fund is creating jobs and boosting the confidence of investors interested in our key logistics, agriculture and manufacturing sectors across communities like Goulburn.”
The Growing Local Economies Fund is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to the delivery of infrastructure projects which improve the economic growth and productivity of the state under Restart NSW.
For more information, visit: http://www.nsw.gov.au/regionalgrowth
WENDY TUCKERMAN 