Federal Member for Eden Monaro, Kristy McBain has confirmed with the Yass Valley Times that the first Albanese government budget has delivered $750,000 for her May election promise of a new playground for Murrumbateman.
The budget confirmation comes just a week after the announcement of Michael Pilbrow’s candidacy, who will be standing for the Labor Party in next year’s March NSW election and puts pressure on Liberal State member Wendy Tuckerman in a seat that sits on just 3 per cent.
Mrs McBain said she attended an event in Murrumbateman last June and spoke to several parents and community members about the need for a bigger play space in the area.
“[Murrumbateman is] a place where every day you are seeing hundreds and hundreds of cars come past a place where people naturally want to stop,” Mrs McBain said.
“Then we get in a playground, and we make sure that it is there for generations to come,” she said.
“It will be an all-accessible playground so that people of all abilities can use the equipment there.
“The Budget sees millions of dollars going towards Eden-Monaro projects that are important in our local communities. This includes my commitment of $750,000 for an all-abilities playground in Murrumbateman,” McBain stated.
Mrs McBain thanked Cr Kristin Butler for her work on improving Murrumbateman’s recreational facilities, all the people who signed a petition to get better recreational facilities in the area, and the Yass Valley Council for their work on the project as well.
Councillor Butler, who was elected in the most recent Local Government Area elections last December, has been a pivotal player in the charge to get a new, community-friendly playground/park in Murrumbateman.
“A few years back, just as a resident of Mururmbateman, I was in contact with Council in regard to the lack of playground facilities in Murrumbateman and I was always met with a dead end and never really got anywhere,” Cr Butler said.
“Last year, in June, I contacted Kristy McBain – our Federal Minister for Eden Monaro, in regard to Murrumbateman’s plight for a playground. She was fantastic, she told me she had run for council all those years ago in her local Bega district because of a lack of playground facilities in the area.
“She was really passionate about rural communities that don’t have playground facilities – not only for the kids, but for a general meeting area for parents. We don’t have a school yet here either.
“I organised a bit of a ‘park protest’ at the time at our only facility here on Hercules Street, which is a sad facility. We had a big turnout and Kristy came out. She said she would help us. She and I stayed in contact for a little while, then she called me late last year and advised as an election campaign promise of a $750,000 grant for Murrumbateman. When she was elected in, she made good on her promise.
Figuring out the most suitable location is the current challenge, according to Clr Butler.
“At the moment, we just have to figure out where this kind of facility is going to go, which has been one of the sticking issues for Murrumbateman and Council. There’s not a huge amount of land accessible for facilities to go on it.”
In May this year, Yass Valley Council started an open spaces strategy, with Kristen on the panel along with another councillor and five members of the public.
During the process, Council hired a consultant company to look at all of the potential spaces that could be used for recreational facilities across the whole Yass Valley, with the outcome of that study still to be revealed.
“I’m very excited from just a little old community member that I’ve come this far, and become a councillor because of it,” Cr Butler continued.
“I’d really like to see something that’s kind of close to the school. So that it could be sort of like a dual-purpose playground.
“My preferred approach would be an amazing, natural playspace that incorporates some kind of pump track for bike riding as well. I speak to members of the community all the time and this idea has received great support.
“I would love to see the new school and the Department of Education get involved and try to secure some sort of dual-purpose land that could be used by the school for bike riding and playground facilities, as well as the wider community as well.”
Whilst the construction of the playground in Murrumbateman is still looking a while away yet, the wheels are definitely in motion.
Tim Warren
