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The rec grounds, including the Hall, are a great asset for Murrumbateman community and they facilitate many activities – equestrian, scouts, cricket, dancing, farmers market, kennel club, tennis, recreational(dog) walking, men’s shed – to name but a few - it also boasts one of the best cross country/eventing equestrian circuits in the region.
The rec grounds are owned and managed by Council. A committee, the MRRGC, chaired by myself and Cr Butler and comprising 10 community members, has been managing day-to-day operations for a long time now. There is an existing Plan of Management from 2008, and Council decided it needed an update. The PoM covers fees, maintenance procedures, hiring procedures, and to some extent, how it should evolve in the short term. All big decisions though, big and small, belong with Council, and the MRRGC routinely sends recommendations to Council which may or may not be accepted – the same as any other Council committee.
In 2012 Council with the help of the MRRGC submitted a grant request for $550,000 to the NSW Government to relocate equestrian activities off the oval to a new equestrian park, and upgrade to oval surface for use by field sports, junior sports etc. The grant finally came through as an election promise in 2014. Council have examined this and 2 other alternatives to separation of equestrian activities from other activities for safety and access reasons. Council has consulted with Olympic level experts in equestrian park design to help come to a detail design for much improved equestrian facilities in a proposed Murrumbateman Equestrian Park, and improved facilities for other activities in the separate Murrumbateman Sports and Activities Park. The exact locations and layouts are yet to be revealed and I understand Council will share the proposed plans with equestrian groups and the public in the next month or so. Council also recently bought the tract of land to the north (the North Paddock) that had previously been leased, to make the rec grounds larger.
Added to that there are some other exciting developments. Mike Reid is leading a project to build a performance stage at the rec grounds for use by various performers including local dance groups and musicians. These plans are well advanced. Also the tennis club has some early plans to add four more multi-purpose covered courts and a clubhouse. The cricket nets are planned to be moved for safety reasons, and the sewer and Yass dam water are coming, which will release the space currently used for pump-out, and make it feasible to improve change rooms and toilets for sports groups.
I shall be at the Progress Association meeting on 21st April to make short presentation and take any questions.
Councillor David Needham
Yass Valley Council
Email: david.needham@yass.nsw.gov.au
Mobile: 0417 468 655
Note: This will also be published in the next edition of the Murrumbateman Services Directory out around 12th April 2016.
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