Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless said Parkes & District Amateur Soccer Association is set to benefit from a second round of funding, which will see the upgrade of facilities to support the local community.

“The club will receive $150,000 from the NSW Government for much needed upgrades,” Mr Colless said.

Parkes & District Amateur Soccer Association president Kevin Medlyn said the announcement is great news. 

“It’s been 12 months in the making,” he said.

“The amenities at Harrison Park desperately need renovating. New change rooms and toilets will give our players more comfort and privacy for many seasons to come.”

Kevin said the existing buildings were built in the 60s. 

“They have well and truly served their purpose,” he said.

“Moving forward, it’s great for the Parkes’ soccer community and also the cricket community who will utilise the grounds in the summer months.

“The more modern facilities will include a referees room and will be of a standard to enable the association to host state titles.”

Rick Colless said Harrison Park is a popular community sporting centre which promotes healthy lifestyles and fitness among kids in the Parkes community.

“It’s therefore important that these upgrades go ahead to keep the club alive and kids active,” he said.

“It is also fantastic to see that the major international sporting event hosted in 2015 has been able to continue to benefit grassroots sport by helping to boost local participation through these successful grants. 

 “The second round of the fund will see 19 projects worth more than $2.3 million go towards improving the quality and quantity of local club facilities across the state.”

Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said since the 2015 Asian Cup there has been a 3% increase in participation, with more than 280,000 people now playing football around NSW.

“It is the financial support from initiatives such as this legacy fund that will ensure the future of Football continues to grow around the state,” he said.