Recreation Reserve a Shining Light For Pambula

THE Pambula Jack Martin Recreational Reserve will be a safer and more enjoyable place for community use with the completion of a lighting upgrade thanks to a grant from the NSW Government and funding from Reflections Holiday Park and the Pambula United Football Club.

Crown Lands in the Department of Planning and Environment provided $125,832 from the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund to support an upgrade to the lighting for the Reserve to increase community use, safety and energy efficiency.

An additional contribution of $20,000 was provided by Reflections Holiday Parks, a Crown Land Manager which has holiday parks in the area and is a caretaker of the showground.

The Pambula United Football Club also contributed $10,000, and Bendigo Bank another $10,000, bringing the total funding allocated to the project to $165,832. The upgrade was completed by local Pambula company Core Electrical.

The Member for Bega, Dr Michael Holland, welcomed the investment into the Reserve, highlighting the immediate benefits for local sporting and community groups.

“The recreational reserve has been given a new lease of life. This new lighting will allow the local Pambula community to make the most of the showgrounds,” he said.

“This new lighting opens up a range of opportunities, with greater safety and visibility it means that events, festivals or sporting matches can now go well into the night.”

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said Crown land reserves like the Pambula Jack Martin Recreational Reserve were for local communities and their residents to use and enjoy.

“Crown land reserves provide homes for organisations that are the lifeblood of communities and give residents access to quality spaces for sports or to just relax and get in touch with nature and each other, so maintaining and upgrading them is essential for health and well-being.”

Reflections Holiday Parks CEO Nick Baker said that the upgrades to the Reserve would benefit the local community, in particular the local cricket and soccer clubs that use it.

“As a certified social enterprise and caretaker of public land for communities, we are pleased to be able to contribute to this valuable project,” Mr Baker said.

“The majority of the 9300 hectares of land that we care for across the state is nature reserve and public land, and this includes the Pambula reserve, the heart of a plethora of community activities throughout the year.”