Chapman Valley to apply for funding in order to overhaul Nabawa Rec Centre to make it disaster ready

The Chapman Valley Shire has unanimously voted in favour of applying for government funding to make much needed upgrades to its Nabawa Recreation Centre & Stadium.

The stadium, which is also home to Chapman Valley Football Club, was used as a disaster shelter when cyclone Seroja hit the region which saw up to 80 per cent of properties sustain damage and displaced many families in the shire.

However the council said as a result of that event it was clear the facility was inadequate to cater for the needs of the people in the region should another disaster strike.

“It was evident in the days, weeks after the cyclone event that Nabawa did not have the capacity or facilities to adequately cater for our displaced residents, as well as offer an alternative to our neighbours in Northampton and beyond,” the council said.

“The Nabawa Recreation Centre & Stadium has been the subject of numerous ‘adhoc’ renovations and upgrades since the 1980s and, while these renovations have allowed the facility to remain functional at the time, the changing demands placed on the facility have deemed it not fit for purpose.

“There is also no consideration to the ever-increasing female participation rates within football circles and a distinct lack of disability access and facilities.”

While not yet set in stone the works are expected to cost between $1.4 to $1.8 million with 50 per cent to be supplied by the Disaster Ready Fund with the rest sourced by alternative means.

The council is now in the process of pulling together a DRF application for the National Emergency Agency.