Sport the big winner as Timaru stimulus fund handed out

A planned $7.5 million redevelopment of Alpine Energy Stadium received the biggest handout from the Timaru District Council’s stimulus fund on Tuesday.
The Fraser Park Community Trust, which runs the facility, received $905,000 of the $1.85 million available as council culled 20 funding applications back to 10 successful projects.
Council established the stimulus fund to help community projects which were otherwise struggling for funding due to limited avenues in the wake of Covid-19.
Trust chairman Brent Isbister told councillors that, should the upgrade go ahead, there was the potential to turn it into a proper multi-sport venue, rather than one that just catered to rugby.
“We've had conversations around football, particularly women's football, and junior cricket, and also softball,” Isbister said.
“The design of the facility is multi-sport, we’re looking at future-proofing it for all events.”
Isbister told council that unless it got a significant amount of funding from the council, it would be difficult to get extra funding from other grants such as the Lotteries Foundation. The redevelopment also received a $500,000 kickstart from Trust Aoraki when the project was officially launched in April 2019.
The other successful applicants were the Levels Raceway Resealing Project ($62,000), Tennis South Canterbury Court Resurfacing Project at the Trust Aoraki Centre ($158,451), Geraldine Domain Redevelopment ($199,920), Re-roofing of the main building at the Winchester Domain/Showgrounds ($11,987) South Canterbury Bike Skills Park ($73,658), Central South Island Cycle Trail ($226,358), South Canterbury Traction Engine & Transport Museum ($117, 706), C-Play Timaru ($77,867) and a host of Temuka projects ($16,524).

Credit - Timaru Herald