Cookbundoon scores facility upgrade
Female football in the Southern Tablelands Football Association has scored a major win as new amenities building will be built at the Cookbundoon Sporting Grounds this financial year, after $572,884 was allocated to the project through the Federal Government Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
Off the back of the successful 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup winning bid, local Council will also contribute $500,000 to the project, and is bringing this amount forward from the 2021/22 budget to ensure work can get underway shortly. The project will focus on providing better change rooms, bathrooms and facilities for football players in the region.
Mayor Bob Kirk praised the STFA Committee who have worked hard to get the project on the agenda.
“I’m extremely pleased that we will be able to get underway with the detailed design as soon as possible, and have this new amenities building complete this financial year.”
“Football probably attracts more participants than any other sport in our region, and this upgrade is desperately needed. At the moment females have no specific change rooms at Cookbundoon, and we look forward to fixing that issue very soon!”
Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said this news will be welcomed by the many soccer players in the Goulburn region.
“The new amenities building will be a fantastic addition to the Cookbundoon Sporting Complex and will vastly improve the facilities for not only local soccer teams, but also those players that visit Goulburn to participate in tournaments and gala days.
STFA Director Craig Norris said there’s a real buzz around the game of Football right now.
“We are so excited to see this come together after many years of working with everyone to get this point, Council have been great throughout the process.”
“The game just keeps on getting bigger and the excitement around female football keeps on growing with over 300 girls under 18 years of age playing this year, with that expected to grow with the Women’s World Cup in 2023.”
This investment will provide a fantastic platform for the Southern Tablelands FA to increase female football in the area.
With 350 female footballers currently registered in the STFA area, the association itself currently has no amenity buildings that are female friendly.
This important upgrade will therefore act as the first ever building in the association to be female friendly/gender neutral, an important component in the 21st century.
Council will provide further detail on the planning for the project over the coming months, with construction to be completed by the end of June 2021
The Goulburn Mulwaree Council area has seen a 30% increase in football participants in the last 5 years with a further increase expected over the coming years with the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023
