General News
3 August, 2026
Funding crunch: shire trims lake project
REDEVELOPMENT of the Little Lake Boort precinct will be pared back to “deliver the highest priority works” with available funding.
REDEVELOPMENT of the Little Lake Boort precinct will be pared back to “deliver the highest priority works” with available funding.
Loddon Shire councilors on Tuesday backed a recommendation from community wellbeing director Wendy Gladman to cut part of the project.
“Federation Walk redevelopment and the car park adjacent to the tennis and bowling clubs, would be transitioned into council’s infrastructure rolling program for future consideration through the annual capital works planning process,” Mrs Gladman said.
The project has a budget of $1.923 million. Government grants of $656,000 have been secured for the improvements.
Mrs Gladman said these would include the historic park redevelopment, croquet club amenities, storage and shelters, traffic movement improvements around the precinct, and selected pathway connections.
She said a review of the Little Lake Boort Recreation Precinct Masterplan had been done for the most effective use of available funding.
“This approach maximises the use of the remaining project funding while ensuring other long-term infrastructure improvements remain identified for future delivery,” she said.
“(It) delivers the highest priority remaining improvements within the available funding, maintains the strategic intent of the masterplan by retaining larger infrastructure projects within council’s long-term capital planning framework, and enables the Little Lake Boort Foreshore Recreation Project to be completed.
“While the original vision for the precinct remains unchanged, the balance of available project funding is insufficient to deliver all remaining components, and the likelihood of securing additional external funding in the short to medium term is considered limited.”
Several government grant applications in the last two years have been unsuccessful while funds have been received for a skate park and tennis club lighting.
Work on new fencing at the tennis club funded by council’s community plan allocation started last week.
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