General News
11 April, 2025
Nationals promise $1 million if elected
Deledio Reserve could see more funding for upgrades, with Member for Mallee Anne Webster committing an additional $1 million to the project if the coalition wins the upcoming federal election.
The Nationals have committed to top-up funding the Central Goldfields Shire Council recently received for the Deledio Reserve upgrade in Dunolly, with Dr Webster pledging additional funding to the project this week.
“The Coalition is contributing a significant share of the cost of this project, which will be welcome relief to the Central Goldfields Shire. If the coalition wins this election, we will be contributing another million dollars to Deledio,” she said.
Dr Webster joined the Central Goldfields Shire councillors and sporting community representatives on Tuesday afternoon to look at what the funding would secure.
“I’ve been aware of Deledio Reserve as a project for years now. To bring this as an election pledge this time, and know they have already got $2.5 million committed, with potentially other funding as well, I just really hope it can happen,” she said.
Following years of unsuccessful applications and unfulfilled election promises, council’s application to the Growing Regions Fund for Deledio Reserve was successful in January this year, bringing the project budget to $3 million.
“I welcomed the funding earlier this year when it was announced and congratulated Central Goldfields Shire and the Dunolly sporting community then, and do so again today, for their hard and diligent work securing $1.5 million in Commonwealth funding,” Dr Webster said on Tuesday.
She hopes to maximise the upgrades Deledio could receive from funding.
“I understand that the Growing Regions Program grant allows for a smaller scale community facility than what Dunolly was hoping for, and the sporting clubs and wider community absolutely deserve to get an appropriate scale facility built first time, not upgraded in future,” Dr Webster said.
She said sporting clubs were an important asset to regional communities, and the funding would ensure the ground would remain a vibrant hub for locals.
“Our sporting teams are the heartbeats for whole towns, I hear it over and over and it’s the same story each time. Families come, older people come, the kids play and learn skills, it builds the community in such significant ways, and an incredibly important way. Every town should be respected and invested in, and I certainly hope this one will be,” Dr Webster said
“It is wonderful to back communities like Dunolly. I have to be clear, I can only make this funding a reality if the Coalition forms government after the upcoming election.”