The additional investment from the Community Sports Infrastructure Fund will also allow for the redevelopment of the second oval at the reserve.  

Mount Clear Junior Football Netball Club vice president Brett Vallance said the upgraded facilities are in high demand at the club, where training nights can feature more than 200 young athletes.   

“We have all grades of football and netball full,” Mr Vallance said.  “It means we can move training onto the back oval in winter and leave (the main oval) alone for a bit, because of a Wednesday night we have five teams trying to train.”  

While the government is yet to offer a specific sum, it has committed to fully funding both the lift and the oval upgrade. 

It comes after the state government pledged $500,000 in the 2016/16 to build new change rooms at the reserve, including 

Mount Clear Cricket Club president Anthony Tigchelaar said the upgrades to the facility were a major selling point for attracting young families to the club. 

“It’s cleaned the area up and it’s certainly more appealing to families and the whole community,” Mr Tigchelaar said.  

“The kids and the partners are happy to come out here because we’ve got clean facilities, and if they’re happy to come out here it attracts more players to the club.”  

While the City of Ballarat will be in charge of the tender process for the lift installation, works could begin as soon as within the next two months.   

Meanwhile work on the second oval will begin towards the end of the 2017 football season.   

Buninyong MP Geoff Howard said the growth of women’s football and cricket played a big part in the additional funding. 

“With more women coming into sport we want to make sure there’s good facilities.”