By Laura Michell
An “11th hour” bid to fund a kitchen and toilet upgrade at a “rapidly growing” sports club as part of Brimbank council’s draft 2022-23 budget has been rejected.
Councillors Virginia Tachos and Jae Pappalia sought to include a kitchen and toilet upgrade for the Keilor Sports Club in the draft budget during council’s meeting on Tuesday, April 19.
Council officers had recommended the project be funded in future years, listing it as priority number five among similar projects.
Cr Pappalia argued that the project deserved to be funded as the club was growing at a rapid rate and the current facilities did not meet its needs.
Cr Tachos said the current kitchen and toilet were not “fit for purpose”, adding that she and some of her colleagues had been talking to the club about the need for the upgrade for the past two years.
“Kitchens are the foundation of every sports club,” Cr Tachos said.
“This club is growing every single year and it needs a kitchen that will accommodate it. Once it does have that kitchen it will be able to generate more income, and it will also be safer.
” … This needs to prioritised.”
However, the proposal was narrowly defeated, with councillors voting five to six to not include the project in the 2022-23 budget.
Cr Trung Luu said he was “totally against” one sporting club being prioritised over others at the 11th hour, against the advice of council officers,
“That is not right,” he said.
“One sporting club is not more important than another.”
The draft budget, which is open for public consultation from Thursday, April 21 until Thursday, May 19, includes a $61.4 million capital works program.
Council is also proposing to lift rates by an average of 1.75 per cent, in keeping with the state government’s rates cap.
The draft budget allocated $11.4 million to sports facility upgrades, including $2.23 million for the Lloyd Reserve soccer- cricket pavilion upgrade and $750,000 for the Lionheart Reserve tennis pavilion upgrade at Taylors Lakes; $26 million for roads, footpaths, drainage upgrades and pedestrian facilities and links; and $1.2 million for town centre upgrades.
The council also proposes to spend $5.6 million on playgrounds, parks and gardens, and $1.8 million to improve community facilities, including the redevelopment of Deer Park library.
