Council and Sisters Beach Community Association unite for a win
Sisters Beach and the surrounding community will benefit from a new Recreation Park following a successful grant of $70,000 from the Tasmanian Community Fund (TCF).
The project and grant application were initiated by the Sisters Beach Community Association (SBCA) and progressed via a working group with the Waratah-Wynyard Council. The working group was made up of Sisters Beach residents, Council staff and Councillors Celisa Edwards and Darren Fairbrother.
SBCA treasurer Ben Saward welcomed the partnership with Council and the TCF.
“It demonstrates what can be achieved via community support and working constructively with local councils and important organisations like the TCF,” Mr Saward said.
The new Park will incorporate ramps for bikes, scooters and skateboards, as well as an enclosed basketball half court, professionally designed by Simon Williams of Concrete Dreams.
The facility will add to an area that is already popular for both locals and visitors.
“The council has been great to work with, their commitment to fund the balance of the project is certainly appreciated by the community, this wouldn’t be possible without council and TCF support,” Ben Saward said.
“All the hard work has finally paid off, the local kids are fully stoked, it’s something they have dreamed about for a number of years.”
Mr Saward further stated “key to our success was a strong business case with clear budgeting protocols that supported the value to our community, fostering and encouraging healthy pursuits and a meeting point that doesn’t currently exist.
The council have been great to work with, their commitment to fund the balance of the project is certainly appreciated by the community, this wouldn’t be possible without Council and TCF support”.
It is expected construction will begin in late 2020 and completed ready for summer.
The facility will include lighting to extend the times it can be used.
“This has been a successful partnership between Council and the community – taking a hardstand that didn’t meet the community’s needs and developing a recreation space with loads of community engagement and plenty of in-kind support,” Waratah-Wynyard Councillor Celisa Edwards said.
Council established a working group to address key priorities in the Sisters Beach community including a hardstand area.
Through a community-led approach a design, extensive consultation and partnerships were developed.
It is estimated Council will contribute $70,000 towards the project.
The grant success demonstrates the value of the project and what can be achieved when there is a shared purpose and community passion.
The TCF (an independent community funding body), was established following the sale of the Trust Bank in 1999, to give back to the community using proceeds from the sale of a community asset.
Since that time the TCF has allocated approximately $58.6m to approximately 1,700 state-wide projects.
Authorised for general media distribution by Shane Crawford, General Manager, Waratah-Wynyard Council on Friday, July 24, 2020.