Shellharbour's sporting community has celebrated the completion of the new Howard Fowles building as part of a major facilities upgrade at Howard Fowles Sports Oval.
Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba said investing in the city's sporting and recreational facilities was a reflection of Council's commitment to the community's health and wellbeing.
"Sport is a regular part of many people's lives in our community. By ensuring the quality of our sports fields and facilities is of a high standard, we are supporting Shellharbour's sportspeople and making sure that they can enjoy these spaces well into the future," Cr Saliba said.
The building and upgraded facilities are part of the Shellharbour City Operational Plan 2019-2020 budget. Sporting and user groups have been extensively involved in the design and development of the $1 million project, as well as applications for grant funding.
The NSW Government helped to fund the project with a $75,000 grant from the NSW ICC T20 World Cup Legacy Fund which invests in new facilities and programs to drive participation in cricket.
Acting Minister for Sport Geoff Lee said the facility was one of many new cricket facilities being built across NSW to ensure the legacy from the ICC T20 World Cup continues.
"Pre-season training is in full-swing and cricketers across the Illawarra will be excited to enjoy the new and upgraded facilities at Howard Fowles Sports Oval." Mr Lee said.
"This building is brilliant and the nets are fantastic so I hope the Shellharbour community enjoy these facilities for years to come."
The Howard Fowles building features new accessible change rooms, toilets, storage, a canteen and a meeting room, as well as new, upgraded cricket nets.
ICC T20 World Cup 2020 Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley is thrilled the cricket nets will leave a lasting impact.
"The local organising committee is committed to working with our partners, including the NSW Government and Cricket NSW, to ensure that hosting the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia next year has a positive legacy. We are so excited that the NSW Government's funding assisted in the construction of the Howard Fowles building, which will benefit the Illawarra cricket community well beyond 2020."
Construction began in March this year by Batmac Constructions and all suppliers and trades are from the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.
