Sport plans kick off

TWO hills sporting hubs are set to be revitalised in a multi-million dollar project.
Yarra Ranges councillors last week endorsed master plans for Kalorama Memorial Reserve and the Olinda Recreation Reserve.
The Kalorama reserve is looking forward to a $2 million upgrade.
It will soon include improved tennis courts with an all-weather surface, a new multi-purpose pavilion with change rooms and meeting space, and a barbecue and picnic area.
“It’s an upgrade that’ll bring the reserve into the 21st century,” Streeton Ward councillor Noel Cliff said.
“My kids went to school in the area and not much has been done to the facility since.
“They’re in their 40s now.”
Cr Cliff said the upgrade will give local residents a place to exercise, giving them no excuse not to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“At long last, the top of the mountain is being looked after,” he said.
The Olinda reserve is set to receive a new pavilion with public toilets, a new barbecue area, and a lighting upgrade for the oval at a cost of more than $1 million.
Vice president of Olinda Ferny Creek Football Club Rick Wall said he was delighted with the council’s decision to endorse upgrade plans.
“It’s absolutely sensational. We’ve looked to it for a while,” Mr Wall said.
“The current pavilion was built entirely by past players and their families. It’s the community’s and we’re proud of it, but it has a lot of issues.”
The pavilion had water seepage and rodent problems which desperately needed tending to but they weren’t as much of a health hazard as the oval’s lighting system.
“We had a training incident where two players collided in the dark,” Mr Wall said.
“One of them ended up in hospital.”
Mr Wall said the lighting upgrade would also allow for other groups to use the ground at night.
“It’s more than a sporting facility. It’s a social hub for an entire community,” he said.
The upgrades to both facilities will receive funding from Yarra Ranges Council’s 10-year Capital Expenditure Program.
The Olinda reserve upgrade will also require added funding from external sources.
“We’re hoping the Department of Sport and Recreation can come to the party as well,” Mr Wall said.