Ararat Rural City Council has committed $125,000 from its cash reserves to help win a federal government grant for the Ararat Skate Park redevelopment.
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The money is conditional on the skate park being successful for another $125,000 from the government’s Building Better Regions Fund.
Council voted 4-2 in favour of allocating the money after Cr Peter Beales moved an amendment, which also added the project to council’s priority listing.
He said the only reason it was not already on the priority list, was council had waited on a presentation from the Ararat Skate Park Improvement Committee.
The presentation was delivered to council on February 14, with council considering it at its meeting on Tuesday night.
Cr Beales said the redevelopment would benefit Ararat’s young skating population.
“We have spent a lot of money on club sports and this is an area where people don’t have to spend a lot of money,” he said.
“It attracts a different clientele, it is very socially equalising, and I think there should be higher priority for it.
“At the present moment I think we have to apply for this grant.”
Ararat mayor Paul Hooper said the project was an example of council working with the community to improve the municipality’s assets.
“As the managers of the park, it is important that Council drives this grant application with the support of the Skate Park Committee,” he said.
“It has been fantastic to hear that both Council and community members, which have included valuable input from our city’s youth, have worked so productively together to get to this stage of the process.
“But people need to keep in mind this isn’t the final stage of the process, there is still a few hurdles to overcome to get this project up and running.
“If this is to go ahead, we must have funding support from grants such as this one.”
The deadline for a submission to the Building Better Regions Fund closes on Tuesday.
If successful with the grant application, the project will have contribution from the federal government, council and the community, including a substantial contribution from Ararat Community Enterprise.
The project will cost more than $400,000 to complete major works at the skate park.