Sports Minister John Eren today announced $300,000 from the state government’s Female Friendly Facilities Fund for a new away change room at Dower Park Recreation Reserve.

The City of Greater Bendigo will contribute a further $400,000 for the project, which will also build an additional unisex change room for home teams.

The new away change room will have amenities for players and umpires, an accessible toilet and shower, first aid facilities, and additional storage space.

Dower Park is home to the Kangaroo Flat Kangas cricket, football and netball clubs and a range of other community activities.

“These new female friendly facilities will benefit these great clubs and allow more girls from Kangaroo Flat than ever before to get involved in the action,” Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said.

Mr Eren said women deserve the same opportunities as men.

“With record numbers of women and girls signing up to play local sport, we’re making sure our facilities are up to scratch,” he said.

Change rooms and support facilities for football, netball and cricket were part of the draft Dower Park Master Plan released in 2014.

Kangaroo Flat Football Netball Club general manager Reuben Johnson said the club would look to expand its under 12 and under 15 girls football sides because of the new facilities, construction of which will begin towards the end of the year.

“It will offer facilities to part of the community that hasn't been thought about in the past,” he said.

“It will enable us to work together to create sustainable opportunities for female participation in sport.”

Mayor Margaret O’Rourke said the facilities would be a great boost for the Kangaroo Flat community.

The president of the Kangaroo Flat Football Netball Club in 2016, Greg McClure, highlighted the importance of facilities for females in interviews with the Bendigo Advertiser.

“Because the girls don’t have change rooms they have to go home and come back to the ground,” Mr McClure said. 

“A lot of people don’t feel like returning. That’s not great for a club situation in making sure social events are well attended, and every club that has to deal with the same circumstances would be in the same position”.

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