TRENTHAM’S community feels like “poor cousins” compared with townships of similar size after what residents describe as a string of state government funding disappointments.
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Hepburn Shire’s Coliban ward councillor Sebastian Klein said news the community had failed to receive funding for a girls’ change room at the local netball courts was the latest in four successive applications to be turned down.
He said Trentham had also missed out on library funding and two applications under Regional Development funding for the streetscape upgrades and its Mechanics’ Institute.
The claims have been refuted by Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas, who said it was “disingenuous to suggest Trentham was being overlooked for any reason”.
Cr Klein said the community felt “snubbed” and described it as a “blind spot”.
“Everyone is pretty exhausted.
“They’re all volunteers and they do their best for these facilities and they feel it’s not being recognised or met by other tiers of government,” he said.
“There’s no explanation but it appears to be a pattern.
“The community members put in a lot and sometimes they wonder if anyone notices or cares.”
Netballer Chelsea Clarke and football coach Cello Matricardi expressed their disappointment following news the change room would not go ahead.
Ms Thomas said she would “dearly love” to see Trentham achieve its goals.
“The feedback I’ve had is the application that went up (for the change rooms) was not quite there, there was no consultation with the leagues or with council getting right behind it,” she said.
“Our local sports and community groups rely on council to put forward well-developed proposals on their behalf and the shire needs to take all necessary steps to ensure applications have the best possible chance of success.”
Ms Thomas said she would work with the council and the community to get its applications prioritised.
A spokesman for Ballarat MP Jaala Pulford also offered support.