The Collie Recreation Ground is set to become more family friendly after it received $5000 from the Shire of Collie for a new project.
Shire of Collie chief executive officer David Blurton has confirmed funding would go towards the purchase and development of an enclosed playground for users of the Collie Recreation Ground.
The motion was put forward as part of the Community Small Grants Fund Round Two 2016/17, discussed during the ordinary meeting on council on Tuesday, March 28.
Mr Blurton said the club’s enclosed playground proposal was one of multiple Community Small Grants Fund applications received by the shire for potential projects for community organisations and groups.
“Assessing the applications is never an easy task and the shire uses a set of criteria to rank the projects according to social and economic benefits, and alignment to the Community Strategic Plan,” he said.
“The Collie Eagles Football Club want to provide a suitable play area for youth who utilise the Recreation Ground, including during football games held in Collie and training sessions.
“This initiative by the football club will be a great community asset that can be enjoyed by many community members and visiting families.”
According to the ordinary meeting of council agenda, overall funding for the project has been estimated at $31,310.
Other recipients for round two funding included Our Community Garden, Collie Pioneer Day Lodge, the Mila Foundation, Collie PCYC and Amaroo Primary School P and C.
Collie Eagles Football Club president Ash Stewart said they were planning to make the playground secure for children and place it close to the clubroom area.
He said the club was working on the playground area’s design and applications for other funding grants.
“Playgrounds aren’t simple to get put in, they’ve actually got to be designed properly, engineered, and the area has got to be designed so there are no fall hazards and things like that,” he said.
“It’s definitely something we want to do, it is not a safe area for kids at this stage and, well, it’s not as safe as it can be.
“[We want] safety for kids and to make an enjoyable place for parents to bring kids to, we want to have an environment that people are happy to bring their kids to and they can relax in without worrying about the safety of the kids, effectively.”
