Redland City Mayor Karen Williams has expressed delight at today’s announcement of $500,000 funding towards the Russell Island Sports Clubhouse and Resilience Centre from the Commonwealth’s Regional Development Australia Fund.
“Our business plan for regional funding highlighted the strong national and regional importance of the Sport and Resilience Hub,” Cr Williams said.
“Estimated to cost $670,000, this facility will not only accommodate sporting and community groups, it will also serve as a disaster resilience centre for the prevention, preparation, response and recovery phases of a disaster event.
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“This need was well highlighted to Redland City Council by the Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald storm event that greatly impacted the Southern Moreton Bay Island (SMBI) community over the Australia Day long weekend.
“We are extremely grateful for the funding support of the Australian Government and the strong application support provided by RDA Logan and Redlands Inc in supporting our funding bid.”
Mariae Crawshaw, Chief Executive of Regional Development Australia Logan and Redlands Inc, said that the application was assessed as a high regional priority and was strongly endorsed for consideration for Federal funding.
“We share the Mayor’s delight in celebrating this funding as a wonderful achievement for the Southern Moreton Bay Islands and the wider regional community.”
Redland City Council Division 5 Councillor, Mark Edwards said the funding announcement was great news not just for Russell Island but for all the Southern Moreton Bay islands.
“This multi-purpose facility will serve the demonstrated sport, recreation, social and community needs of the Southern Moreton Bay Island communities of Karragarra, Lamb, Macleay and Russell Islands and those of neighbouring communities in Redlands, Logan and Southeast Queensland,” Cr Edwards said
“The SMBI will have a sporting complex they can call their own, their own clubhouse and the added advantage of its use as a resilience centre in times of need.
“The need for such a community centre was driven home to us during recent the resilience forums held on Russell and Macleay islands and, thanks to the stage one and two partnership between the three tiers of government, we will deliver facilities and a multi-purpose centre residents can be proud of.”
Cr Edwards said the proposed 543m² clubhouse would form the hub of the Russell Island Sport and Recreation Park.
“It has been innovatively designed to include a commercial kitchen and first-aid room and for dual use as a resilience training and evacuation centre, which maximises the output of the building,” he said.
Construction of the new facility is expected to begin in January next year and be completed by December 2014 offering employment opportunities to local people during construction and through the establishment phases of the project.
The funding is in addition to state government funding commitment of $750,000 announced in 2010 and Council funding commitment of $1,307,554 towards the development of a large sportsfield and multi-purpose courts as part of stage one of the project.
