Gippsland is now home to another first-class sporting facility following a declaration that the redeveloped Keegan Street Reserve has been officially opened in Morwell today.
Operating in tandem from the pavilion end of the ground, Latrobe City Mayor, Cr Sharon Gibson and Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester announced the official start of play for the new look yet historic cricket ground.
Originally owned by early Scottish settlers the Keegan family – whose lineage included some of Morwell’s forerunning gun cricketers – the former farmland was later designated for permanent recreational use.
Its sporting legacy continues to evolve as part of a $5 million Federal Government investment at the Morwell Recreation Reserve sporting precinct.
Works at the ground included: oval realignment, drainage upgrades, new turf and synthetic wicket installation, construction of new synthetic training nets, landscaping including bollard installation, plantings, and paving upgrades.
The finished product is complemented by a shared cricket and netball pavilion completed as part of the overall reserve upgrades.
Construction provided an economic boon for local contractors with a number engaged throughout the project, including head contractors A1 Civil and Langden Constructions with a range of local subcontractors.
The overall Morwell Recreation Reserve and Keegan Street Reserve project was funded by $5 million from the Federal Government and $4 million from the Victorian Government’s $85 million Latrobe Valley Sports and Community Initiative, administered by Latrobe Valley Authority.
The Keegan Street Reserve upgrade was funded by $757,000 from the Federal Government.
Quotes attributable to Latrobe City Mayor Sharon Gibson
“The Keegan Street Reserve upgrade is the icing on the cake for the Morwell Recreation Reserve redevelopment, which has enhanced the precinct’s clout as a leading multisport centre for regional Victoria and massively improved amenities for local users.
“The Federal and State Government have listened to our local sporting clubs and pulled through to make sure this project was delivered for the benefit of all across Latrobe City and beyond.”