Member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford and Ripon Labor candidate Sarah de Santis handed the cheque over to members and sponsors of Swifts Football Netball Club, the primary user of North Park.

The Stawell Recreation Advisory Group is currently in the consultation and decision-making process of how to best use the funding allocated.

Advisory Group chair and Northern Grampians Shire councillor Murray Emerson said the group is hard at work to get plans finalised.

“The plans are being finalised and will soon go back to the Advisory Group to be signed off,” he said.

“The new facility will incorporate change rooms, umpire rooms, warm up space, club medical facilities and social areas.

“North Park has been calling out for an upgrade for more than 15 years and we are really pleased to see that it is now happening.”

The upgrade project will total $1.8 million. $700,000 has been committed by the state government, $900,000 from the Northern Grampians Shire Council and $250,000 from Swifts Football netball Club.

“There are many organisations, all important to our community, located at North Park and they will all benefit from the new location of the club rooms, which will be on the higher part of the complex between the netball, football and athletics track,” Cr Emerson said.