Council commits seed funding for multi-use indoor sports facility in Albany Agricultural Society pavilion

Plans for an indoor sports facility in an Albany Agricultural Society pavilion have secured nearly $100,000 from the City of Albany to help leverage the remaining funds needed from the State Government.

Councillors on Tuesday unanimously voted to give $99,967 in seed funding to Cricket Great Southern and $12,318 to Albany Kart Club to bolster their applications to the State Government’s Community Sport and Recreation Facility Fund.

The organisations are separately vying for funding under the small grants round of the fund, for projects of up to $300,000.

The City committed to handing over the funds to the clubs even if their CSRFF applications are unsuccessful, as long as the remaining funds can be sourced elsewhere.

Cricket Great Southern’s plans for an indoor multi-use sports facility involves a 60m x 30m Agricultural Society pavilion transformed into all-weather, shared sporting ground with retracting dividers.

“The project includes the installation of synthetic turf and a 58m x 25m sports cage with spring loaded netting divided into three courts,” an officer’s report said.

It could also accommodate five indoor cricket nets, two indoor soccer pitches or one indoor hockey pitch — catering for overflow at the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre, the report said.

An officer’s report said the facility would allow participants to remain sheltered and be an “attractive alternative for sporting competitions and trainings, and will ideally increase the uptake of sport” in the Great Southern.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting, Albany Agricultural Society president Rob Wright said the pavilion upgrade would create a long-lasting asset for the community.

Albany Kart Club’s application is to fund safety light upgrades at its Albany Highway race track and installation of a blind-spot camera.