Mildura Rural City Council's work to support Timmis Speedway in its push to upgrade its facilities is part of a broader effort to continue partnering with local sport and recreation clubs to improve their venues.
The Mildura Speedway Drivers Club was recently forced to temporarily close its popular Timmis Speedway venue due to the need for major lighting and electrical upgrades.
Councillor for Economic Development and Tourism Stefano de Pieri said Council is supporting the club's application for Victorian Government Regional Infrastructure Funding and is the latest example of Council assisting local clubs.
Mildura Speedway Drivers Club Committee member Jarod Waters welcomed Council's support.
"Our plan is to upgrade our venue to Speedway Australia's five-star guidelines, which would bring us into line with the best tracks in Australia," Mr Waters said.
"To do this, we need some major lighting and electrical upgrades, and to fund this we need to apply for a government grant.
"Our club has never really put in for grants of this scale before, we've normally put in for smaller grants or raised the funds ourselves, and the Council has been a great help with this new grant application.
"Without their support we wouldn't be able to do this. It wouldn't have happened as quickly as it has in terms of aligning our application with the grant guidelines."
Cr de Pieri said this was the latest in a string of examples of the ways in which Council can work closely with local sporting groups to either upgrade or future-plan for upgrades to their facilities.
"At the end of the day, the numerous hard-working local sporting groups play a major role in driving economic development in our region," he said.
"Take the recent Victorian BMX State Series Round at the Mildura BMX Club, which attracted almost 400 competitors, many of whom were visiting riders, along with their families and friends.
"These visitors stay in our region and spend money on accommodation, food, drink and other items, which serves as an economic stimulus for local businesses across the whole weekend.
"In this example, we were able to work side-by-side with the club to support upgrades to their facilities, which enabled to them to host this month's State Series Round."
Cr de Pieri said Council was able to work with local sporting groups to help them identify, prioritise, design and source funding to upgrade their facilities.
"Whether it's through masterplans for our various recreation reserves, or sporting groups that lease their site, Council staff are able to sit down with clubs and help them develop facility plans for their venues," he said.
"These plans are aimed at helping clubs bring their venues up to an agreed level, in line with their respective state or national sporting association, which can pave the way for a whole host of opportunities and future-proofing.
"Whether it's simply improving their facilities for week-to-week competition, or enabling them to host state or national titles, and all the broader economic benefits this generates for our community, our teams are keen to continue supporting local clubs and groups achieve their future goals."
Clubs seeking more information about opportunities to improve their facilities can contact Council on 03 5018 8100.
