A new fit-for-purpose $880,000 clubroom facility is the latest project funded as part of a $1.6 million redevelopment of Henty Sports Ground.
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The latest funding was awarded under the NSW government's show stimulus funding with significant contributions from Bendigo Bank's Henty Community Financial Services.
Greater Hume general manager Steve Pinnick welcomed the funding saying in a town where sport is synonymous with community, the redevelopment would benefit not just sportspeople but the entire town.
"Sport and recreation in regional towns is really how people connect with each other," he said. "If you go to the football of a Saturday out here you've got the really young kids who are playing junior sport through to the grandparents that are still coming down of a Saturday afternoon to watch."
Councillor Annette Schilling said sport was vital to regional towns.
"It's important for mental health, that connectivity with people," she said.
"Some people don't have many other outings but they've got sport and that's integrating with other people."
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The latest grant comes in addition to money received from the state government, the Bendigo Bank, Riverina Water Council and the federal government to upgrade the Henty Sports Ground.
In the past two years, the ground has received grants of $230,000 for new netball courts, $20,000 for cricket nets, $40,000 for ground lighting, $10,000 towards camping amenities upgrades, $25,000 for a new fit-for-purpose mower and $400,000 for new ground.
Henty Sports Ground Committee chair Adrian O'Brien said the funding and support helped them bring the facility into the future.
"We developed a strategic master-plan with council over the past couple of years and identified a few projects we needed to bring us up to current standards and also to secure good facilities for future generations," he said.
"At the completion of all these projects we'll be well placed within the shire and within regional NSW in terms of the facilities."
While a lot of work has already been completed, the installation of cricket nets and renovation of the building are still to take place.
Member for Albury Justin Clancy said good facilities helped regional towns attract people.
"It really puts the community on a great footing moving forward," he said.
"We've gone from having two grounds which were probably being underutilised and more labour intensive to utilising one that'll be much more efficient and much more suited for the community."
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