Community
1 April, 2026
New look for rec reserve
SIMPSON Recreation Reserve will be getting a major upgrade as councillors voted to approve a contract for the construction of its facilities upgrades at last week’s Ordinary Meeting of Council.
The recreation reserve will see upgrades to its change room facilities, which are nearly 50 years old and no longer meet state sporting association facility standards nor align with user expectations.
The Simpson Recreation Reserve is a well-used community hub, home to multiple football, netball and cricket teams, as well as the annual Heytesbury Agricultural Show and recreational camping.
Councillors voted to award the building contract to BDH Constructions for the amount of $1,127,890, as well as an increase of $110,000 excluding GST to the project to enable it to proceed.
Cooriemungle Ward councillor Jamie Vogels said the facility was due for a much-needed upgrade.
“Simpson Recreation Reserve is one of the busiest and most loved community spaces in our district,” he said.
“The change rooms are almost 50 years old and they simply don’t meet today’s standards for safety, accessibility or female-friendly sport.
“That’s why we need to build modern, accessible, fit-for-purpose change rooms which will support Simpson’s clubs and the community for decades to come.
“The new facility will include home and away change rooms, umpires change rooms, first aid and trainers’ rooms, office storage, an accessible toilet and shower, ambulatory toilets and a briefing room.
“This means safer, more inclusive and more comfortable facilities for everyone – players, volunteers, officials and visitors.”
Cr Vogels said it was thanks to funding from Sports and Recreation Victoria as well as community groups which would make this project possible.
“Who’s funding the project? Sports and Recreation Victoria with their $1 million, council’s $100,000, Simpson Football Netball Club with $115,000, Simpson Recreation Reserve Committee $40,000 and Simpson Cricket Club $10,000,” he said.
“This just shows how much the community values this project by what they’ve already committed.
“These change rooms will support women and girls in sport, improve accessibility for people with disability, provide safer modern facilities, strengthen the reserve as a community hub and future-proof the site for events and club growth.
“I think awarding the construction contract and approving the additional $110,000 for contingency will allow the project to move into build phase and, once approved, this project can get underway and deliver the facilities the Simpson community deserves.”
Mayor councillor Kate Makin said the additional $110,000 buffer highlighted how much costs have increased.
“We got this grant around 12 months ago, and we went out for tender and did all the designs and everything else,” she said.
“We thought the grant money would actually cover the whole cost, but here we are sitting down 12 months later, and we have put an extra $110,000 in there.
“It’s a lot of money, but it’s something that needs to be done for the town of Simpson.
“It just shows the increase of costs of everything – it’s all going up and we are all bearing the brunt of it.”
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