Upgrades to two key pieces of sports infrastructure will go ahead after City of Ballarat councillors approved tenders for Mars Stadium and Alfredton Recreation Reserve at Wednesday night's council meeting.
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The state government-funded $3.5 million works at Alfredton Recreation Reserve will see the construction of a new shared pavilion with social rooms and change rooms.
The tender was awarded to Ballarat-based builder CIQ Construction Management for just over $3.5 million.
A council officer report said the project would 'demolish the existing change rooms and construct new purpose built change rooms and supporting amenities to replace the existing football change rooms and the cricket clubrooms'.
North ward councillor Peter Eddy said the Alfredton upgrades were a great step forward.
"This certainly helps to replace outdated facilities that have been the subject of probably not being compliant or anywhere near adequate for a range of reasons in recent years," he said.
"With a growing area and terrific clubs in that area that are very much welcoming to the whole community, I think this is an excellent project and one we fully support."
The approved Mars Stadium works are the final part of the $6.35 million upgrade and will improve the venue's gate one entrance and accessible seating in the eastern and western stands, and build a new food and beverage area and behind-goal camera platform.
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The $1.77 million works were award to 150-year-old Ballarat company H.Troon.
Cr Eddy said the work would benefit the entire precinct beyond AFL games.
"At the moment, we have an oval and some seating and we're gradually starting to mould it into a venue that people can very proud of within the city," he said.
Council is set to commence work on a new Reconciliation Action Plan following the completion of the current plan this year.
The current plan was adopted in March 2019 and developed alongside Reconciliation Australia to provide a framework for council's 'vision for reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples'.
The plan, council's third since 2011, outlined 111 deliverable actions. Of which, council had completed or started 93 per cent.
Central ward councillor Belinda Coates said the last couple of years had seen significant shifts in both council and the community.
"It's important to see, despite more or less 18 months of COVID on again, off again, there's still 75 per cent of the actions have been completed and 93 per cent are complete or underway so considering the challenges we've had over the last 18 months, that's pretty amazing."
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