Club wants to grow more

By Lia Bichel
A RAPIDLY growing sports club in Casey has welcomed a pavilion extension but the president said more space was needed to meet members’ needs.
Youth athletes, community groups and Casey residents are set to benefit from the Berwick Springs Park pavilion extension, which begun in April and is expected to be completed in September.
The extension, which will cost almost $1 million, will include much needed additional change room space, a large multipurpose community room, additional kitchen and store room.
While Berwick Springs Sports Club president Matthew Osborne said he was excited by the extra opportunities that the extended pavilion would provide, he said there could be a need for more extensions soon.
“The club is only four years old and has nine junior footy teams, 15 cricket teams and 42 netball teams,” he said.
“What we would like to do is have the facilities not only for the Berwick Springs Sports Club but for the community at large – like Casey Fields has.
“We would like Berwick Springs Park to be an area where sports can be played but teams can get together or families can meet for barbecues or something similar.”
Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley campaigned for the current extension with Berwick Springs Sports Club last year and secured a $148,000 grant from the Brumby Labor Government.
Ms Graley said she was happy Casey council listened to the concerns of club members and moved to provide the extension.
“The Berwick Springs Sports Club has been in desperate need of additional change room space for a long time,” Ms Graley said.
“There is a shortage of community meeting space in the local area, so the Berwick Springs Residents and Owners Association and other groups will be making good use of the new community room.
“We will now have a community asset at Berwick Springs Park that we can all be proud of,” she said.