The opening of the new AG Lavis Pavillion in Heathmont
On Saturday the 19th of November I was very happy to help officially open the new AG Lavis Pavilion in Heathmont reserve.
The new pavilion was funded with a $246,000 Federal Government grant under the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program, and $687,000 from Maroondah City Council’s Capital Works Program.
The Heathmont Reserve pavilion is home to a number of groups including Heathmont Baseball Club and Heathmont Baptist Cricket Club.
I first visited the old AG Lavis Pavilion at the invitation of Mark McGrew, the President of the Heathmont Baseball Club.
The old pavilion was in very bad shape, leaking in the rain, dark and inaccessible in places, only one change room and catering facilities that were difficult to use.
Walking through the old pavilion it was clear that the facility was well past its use by date and was no longer meeting the needs of the club or the broader community.
The new multipurpose building has been built using a tilt slab structure, this process ensured that the building was built in a short time-frame; it is a building that will stand the test of time and has the advantage of being a low maintenance building.
The new facility includes two changing rooms and associated showers, female and male all-access toilet facilities, kitchen facilities, a social area and bi-fold doors that open onto a deck area overlooking the oval and baseball batting mound.
A lot of thought went into the construction of the facility, with the outdoor roof specifically designed to ensure that the baseball diamond won’t impacted by shadows during game times.
Other major improvements to the facility include new tiered outdoor seating area next to the pavilion, which offers spectators an uninterrupted view of the field.
The new state of the art multi-purpose facility will provide an opportunity to expand social and sporting participation for families, female teams and people with a disability.
With separate change rooms and toilet facilities both male and female competitors can use the facility.
The new facility will also be available for local community groups to use as a community room.
In the area of Heathmont there are few community spaces so this addition will be very welcome.
In the Maroondah area this funding has helped to deliver for the community the new $2.4 million multi-purpose Soccer pavilion in Ringwood, upgrade to Dorset Golf Course and will deliver the Croydon Youth and Skate Space.
This project is yet another example of the benefits of the Federal Government working with local councils directly to fund community infrastructure.
