Cookbundoon Pavilion has undergone the final stages of its development, with clubs hailing from the Southern Tablelands Football Association (STFA) set to benefit.
Councillors in August agreed to name the building as the Graham Coe Pavilion, in honour of his strong contribution to the sport and the formation of the STFA.
Included in the new pavilion is six change rooms, a function room, canteen, officials change rooms, public amenities, storeroom, office and an undercover veranda.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council Mayor Bob Kirk acknowledged the significance of satisfying the growth of football interest and participants in the area.
“Football is perhaps the largest sport in our region based on player numbers, and this upgrade to provide essential facilities such as change rooms for our female players was overdue,” he said.
“I am pleased to see it now completed to a high standard, and I hope to be able to officially open it soon once restrictions are eased.
“It would be great to see the facilities utilised in 2021, so I hope the STFA are able to complete their finals series as planned.”
Southern Tablelands Football Manager Craig Norris reflected that the association was excited to get underway in its use of the new pavilion.
“The addition of change rooms and in particular for our girls is huge for the sport and will be a game changer,” he said.
“Female participation in Football in our region is on the rise, with nearly a third of all our participants now being females which is fantastic.”
$572,884 was obtained for the project, through the Federal Government Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, with Goulburn Mulwaree Council also contributing $500,000.
Females will have access to six changerooms to use before and after games, rather than changing in cars and behind trees.
Inclusive football facilities are one of the five key infrastructure priorities from the NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy. This area focuses on increasing and improving gender-neutral player and referee change rooms.
With the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup less than two years away, infrastructure upgrades such as this new amenity at Cookbundoon will allows Southern Tablelands to cater for the expected increase in females playing football.
