The Nagambie Lakes Regatta Centre will soon expand its facilities to include two canoe polo fields thanks to a $24,000 funding boost announced in March by the Member for Benalla, Dr Bill Sykes.
The funding, provided from the Victorian Government’s Community Facility Funding Program, will be used to establish facilities at Lake Nagambie suitable for local grassroots to national level canoe polo competition events and training. The planned facilities will include in-water anchor points for two removable fields, goals, refereeing pontoons and on-land shelters for scorers and timekeepers.
The venue is already being used by Canoeing Victoria for national and state level polo competitions. Last month, Canoeing Victoria hosted the Victorian Invitational – part of the Australian Canoeing Canoe Polo Summer Series competition. The event attracted around 130 participants making up 24 teams from Qld, NSW, SA and Victoria.
Chair of Canoeing Victoria’s Polo Technical Committee, Mike Wilson, was delighted with the announcement. “The Nagambie development will be a real boost to canoe polo in Victoria. It will provide a dedicated polo facility suitable for all levels of training and competition from grassroots to international level which is a first in Victoria. Nagambie also has a great advantage in having accommodation for competitors and their families right next to the venue.”
At a grassroots level, Canoeing Victoria are keen to support the development of a canoe club and a local regional competition using the new facility as a base, while at the elite level, the Chair of Australian Canoeing’s Polo Technical Committee, Ian Beasley, announced that the Nagambie has already been selected as the preferred venue to host the international Oceania event in 2015.
Construction is expected to commence in the new financial year.
Canoeing Victoria would like to thank the Strathbogie Shire and the Victorian Government for supporting the development of the canoe polo facility at Nagambie.
Link to Member for Benalla’s announcement.
For more information, contact Andrea Boothroyd (03) 8846 4120 or 0430 366 442.
