Sport
5 May, 2026
Central Goldfields Shire Council awards tender for Deledio Reserve pavilion
A decades-long dream is one step closer for the Dunolly community after local council awarded a tender of over $2.5 million for the construction of a new pavilion at Deledio Recreation Reserve.
At their ordinary monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 22, the Central Goldfields Shire Council awarded the contract to MKM Building Group following a public tender process late last year.
It brings to an end over 20 years of planning for unsuccessful applications and unfulfilled election promises, as the project finally secured $3 million in funding to replace the existing pavilion.
Originally built in 1977, the reserve’s current pavilion is showing its age.
As stated in the meeting agenda, the building “has deteriorated significantly”, with inspections confirming it “can no longer be economically upgraded due to issues including asbestos, structural damage, non-compliant amenities, accessibility shortcomings and food safety limitations”.
With $1.5 million from the Australian Government’s Growing Regions Program, a further $1 million from the State Government and a $500,000 contribution from council, the new pavilion will include “female-friendly changerooms, accessible amenities, social and community spaces, compliant kitchen facilities and improved heating, cooling, and ventilation”.
The pavilion has been a priority project for Central Goldfields Shire councillor Liesbeth Long since she was elected back in 2020.
With Cr Long unable to attend the monthly meeting, fellow councillor Gerard Murphy spoke on her behalf.
“The condition of the pavilion has long been an eyesore and a safety concern, causing embarrassment and shame for locals when hosting visiting teams,” he said.
“If this were a dwelling, it would be described as a knockdown.
“Projects like this do not happen without the dedication of many people. Liesbeth would like to acknowledge the Deledio Reserve Sports Committee and all user groups for their patience, advocacy and unwavering support.
“To the people of Dunolly, this achievement belongs to you. Your passion, persistence and community spirit have made this possible.
“What we see before us today is a result of years of hard work and we can now move into the construction phase expected to take around 10 months.”
With his connections to the Dunolly Football Netball Club and the Laanecoorie Dunolly Cricket Club, councillor Jake Meyer said the project is “a great outcome for Dunolly”, complementing the reserve’s new scoreboard and netball courts.
“The amount of time and effort that the footy club and the committee at the footy club have put into this, the amount of hours you see them fundraising down the streets, handing out stuff. I take my hat off to them,” he said.
“(You) sit in the clubrooms some days and you can see the birds flying in through the top of the windows.
“You wouldn’t even consider showering because it was easier just to quickly get in your car and go home.
“I look forward to seeing it finished and I look forward to seeing some finals finally played out there.”
Following a proposed amended recommendation to the meeting’s agenda “to include additional services works”, the revised sum of the contract is $2,685,768.50.
As stated in the amended agenda, contract variations have “an agreed tolerance of up to plus or minus 10 percent”, “provided the total contract value does not exceed $2,954,345.35”.
While the original tender documentation sought a modular pavilion that could be assembled off-site and transported for installation, the MKM Building Group has proposed a non-modular construction method, building the pavilion from scratch on location.
Construction is expected to commence in the second half of 2026.