Shire of Manjimup to apply for extra Rea Park and Collier Street Reserve redevelopment funds

The Shire of Manjimup will apply for a Federal Government grant to secure funds for the Rea Park and Collier Street sporting complex redevelopment after the move was ratified by the council at an extraordinary meeting. A recommendation to submit an application to the Commonwealth Growing Regions Program was unanimously endorsed by the council on December 21. The shire had been invited to submit a full application after its expression of interest in the program was deemed successful in November last year. Shire president Donnelle Buegge said the grant application presented a strong case on a needs basis. “The sports ground is basically unusable for three quarters of the year because of the drainage,” she said. “With the grant, we’ll be able to get some new playing fields and the sports will be able to use them all year round.” The implementation of the project’s second stage — which is budgeted at $5.37 million including $3.2m to resurface Collier Street Reserve’s field and $1.242m for amenities upgrades — depends on securing the grant and may need to be revised if the application is unsuccessful. The program requires local governments to match at least 50 per cent of the cash requested in the grant application, with the Shire budgeting to contribute $3,118,731 towards the grant. The Shire has borrowed $5 million for the project, which is budgeted at a total of $18,818,435 across three stages, with the first stage of upgrading the complex’s lights nearing completion.