The Community Sports Infrastructure Fund received a huge $60 million boost that will provide high quality, accessible community sport and active recreation infrastructure across Victoria.
Over the last four years the Community Sports Infrastructure Fund has helped countless communities improve their sporting facilities and provide modern, safe, inclusive and fully-accessible facilities with room to grow and welcome more members than ever before.
Grants available for Major Facilities projects have increased from $650,000 to $800,000, for Small Aquatic Projects from $200,000 to $250,000 and there's also an increase in the amount for Minor Facilities from $100,000 to $250,000.
The ground breaking Female Friendly Facilities Fund is also now open and funding significantly increased with $15 million available, so councils may now submit applications for one or more venues with a total (combined) funding request of up to $500,000.
So far the Female Friendly Facilities Fund has invested in for more than 100 projects worth a total of $60 million across the state, helping more than 200 clubs transform ageing facilities and provide more opportunities for women and girls to play the sports they love.
The Better Indoor Stadiums Fund is also now open to help more sporting organisations, working with their local councils, develop new, or expand existing indoor multi-sport stadiums to meet soaring demand for greater court space.
These stadiums are a hive of activity for more than 450,000 Victorians that play indoor sports like volleyball, basketball, netball and badminton.
Clubs will also benefit from a new $100 million Community Sport Infrastructure Loans Scheme that will provide low interest loans to fast track important community sporting facilities that could otherwise fall short on funding.
This is one of the biggest ever investments in participation in sport and recreation by an Australian state government.