By LIAM DURKIN
YOU can’t get much more unanimous than 96 per cent.
Traralgon Football-Netball Club members voted overwhelmingly to officially endorse design plans for a new multi-use pavilion for the town’s recreation reserve last week.
The vote came after a special general meeting was called, requiring eligible members to signal their intentions.
The Traralgon Recreation Reserve, specifically the Traralgon FNC, have been operating without proper facilities since major floods left a trail of destruction in June 2021.
Since then, the Maroons footballers have been operating out of makeshift, and frankly unsafe, change rooms, while visiting teams have been confined to portables.
Last Wednesday’s special general meeting sought to create something of a resolution, and the general consensus from the assembly was that ‘enough is enough’.
While budget and design constraints have left the possibility of Traralgon receiving a facility that could leave them short-changed, the risk of potentially losing funding and the project altogether was one that Maroons members were not prepared to take.
A project reference group has been working around the clock for the last three years, and moved to reassure members it had exhausted all options and fought for the best possible outcome.
Project reference group members Kevin Foley, Natalie Jaensch and Andrew Quenault chaired the meeting, representing the three main users of the Traralgon Recreation Reserve (Foley; Traralgon FNC football, Jaensch; Traralgon FNC netball; Quenault; Ex Students Cricket Club).
Design plans were made available for attendees to browse, while the trio gave a snapshot into the state of play.
Initial design plans were for a double storey facility, similar to the one that stood before the flood.
However, a follow up meeting in July last year revelled such a facility may have blown the $6.7 million budget, and so the decision was made to explore a single-storey design.
Sport and Recreation Victoria are contributing $2.75m, with the balance to come from state and local government funds and grants.
At the meeting, it was stressed that if Traralgon FNC did not make a decision soon, Sport and Recreation Victoria could pull their funding.
The has been 12 official Project Reference Group Meetings alone since July last year, and more than eight concept plans drafted.
The project went to tender last May, and all came in under budget.
Following that synopsis, the floor was opened for discussion.
The current design accommodates football and netball change-rooms, as well as Traralgon Boxing Club, who will keep their current space.
The main bones of contention are the decreased floor space for football players change-rooms, and limitations on storage.
Netballers however have been properly accommodated, with change-room facilities within the complex which is a first for Traralgon Recreation Reserve.
After an hour-long discussion, members cast their votes by a show of hands, with three submitting theirs via proxy.
A total of 26 voted ‘for’ to endorse design plans, with only a single vote going against. A handful of members chose to abstain.
With the plans now endorsed, it is anticipated demolition of the old facility will take place in the second-last week of September.
Latrobe City Council has put down a timeframe of October 2025 for project completion.
Traralgon still hopes to play home games next season, and will make do with portable rooms for one more year.
