Geelong
Tens of thousands of AFL fans will pack Simonds Stadium tonight to watch the Geelong Football Club's first ever night game at its home ground, made possible through a Federal Government grant to install match-quality lighting at the venue.
The Prime Minister will join Minister for Regional Services and Local Communities, Catherine King, Member for Corio, Richard Marles, and Member for Corangamite, Darren Cheeseman, at the historic match to see first-hand the benefits that Regional Development Australia Funding grants are delivering to regional communities.
The Federal Government's $10 million contribution was used to install four broadcast-quality lighting fixtures, and forms part of a $35 million redevelopment of the southern stand to increase the capacity of the stadium to at least 33,500 and provide much-needed amenity upgrades.
The redevelopment brings opportunities for the Geelong Football Club and its league of loyal supporters.
However, the benefits of the stadium upgrade will extend far beyond the AFL and will be warmly welcomed by the region's cricketers, soccer players, rugby union and league teams alike.
They will be able to enjoy longer, more flexible access to the ground and will benefit from the improved, purpose-built facilities.
The project will also deliver benefits to tourists, locals and businesses.
This is another example of the real benefits of targeted, long-term investment in regional communities.
Overall, the redevelopment has supported 100 jobs throughout the project construction, with additional economic benefits to flow to area's hotels, restaurants and attractions as a direct result of increased stadium capacity and operation times.
The Federal Government's RDAF program is building on our record investments in health and hospitals, skills, higher education and infrastructure, including the rollout of the NBN, totalling around $14 billion for regional Australia.
Information on the Regional Development Australia Fund can be found at www.regional.gov.au