A STATE Government department has refuted claims there is less funding in its Community Sports and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) this round compared to previous years.
Concerns were raised at Tuesday’s Wanneroo council briefing session that the funding total was lower as the council discussed a report on successful 2018-19 funding applications.
Mayor Tracey Roberts asked City staff if the amount of funding available across WA had increased and was told the pool available was $9.35 million for the 2018-19 round compared to $12.3 million in 2016.
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READ NOWMrs Roberts said it had “decreased significantly” and she would write to the Sport and Recreation Minister seeking an increase in the funding, if the council agreed next Tuesday.
However, a spokeswoman from the Department of Sport and Recreation said there was $12 million available in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.
She said the total figure had not changed, though it was available across two small grant rounds and the annual forward planning round.
Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray announced the $9.35 million forward planning funding package on February 26.
It included $1 million for the City, with half of that a $500,000 State Election promise for the Kingsway netball building through its Local Projects Local Jobs campaign.
A report on the March 20 agenda said the City had applied for another $200,000 through CSRFF to go towards the $2.6 million project.
The City is due to receive $400,000 of the $461,333 requested for clubrooms at Belhaven Park in Quinns Rocks, with that project expected to cost almost $1.4 million.
It will also get a $100,000 CSRFF grant for floodlighting at Heath Park in Eglinton – about $20,000 less than requested for the $358,430 project.
Its unsuccessful applications included $210,000 for Addison Park upgrades in Merriwa, $220,000 for John Maloney Park floodlighting in Marangaroo and $457,667 for clubrooms at Shelvock Park in Koondoola.
The department spokeswoman said applicants had the option to reapply in future rounds and forward estimates showed there would be $12 million in the 2019-20 round.
She said grants could be used for community-level infrastructure, including ovals, courts, bowling greens, pools, floodlighting, change rooms and storage.
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