jasonbroadbent

Local Sport Defibrillator Program Funds New Defib at Cookbundoon

The Southern Tablelands Football Association would like to formally acknowledge and thank the NSW Government for their support through the Local Sport Defibrillator Program.

Thanks to this funding, we have been able to purchase and install a new defibrillator at Cookbundoon Sporting Fields. This vital piece of equipment will significantly enhance the safety and wellbeing of our players, referees, volunteers, and spectators. This provides our venue with a second updated Defibrillator that ensures maximum coverage at the Cookbundoon venue.

We are extremely appreciative of the NSW Government’s commitment to supporting grassroots sport and helping our volunteer community sporting organisation to provide safer environments for all participants. Thank you to the NSW Government for their support.

LIGHT UP COOKBUNDOON OFFICIAL OPENING

L-R: Liz McKeon (Councillor – Representing Minister for Sport Stephen Kamper), Robert Scott (STFA President), Aaron Grant (Director Aaron Grant Electrical), Wendy Tuckerman (Local Member for Goulburn), Daniel Strickland (Councillor), Jake Bolin (STFA Director), Jason Broadbent (STFA Director), Nick Ritchie (STFA Director).
ABSENT: Kayla Webb (STFA Female Coordinator), Craig Norris (STFA Director), Nicholas D’Amore (STFA Performance Manager).

The Southern Tablelands Football Association (STFA) officially opened its new LED lighting system at Cookbundoon Sporting Complex on Saturday, 26 July. The $872,744 project, funded through the NSW Government’s Level the Playing Field program, will allow extended playing hours, safer conditions, and greater access to high-quality training and tournaments across the region. The new lights have already made a big impact during the 2025 season, but Saturday marked the official celebration of this milestone achievement.

More than 100 teams across junior and senior competitions play at Cookbundoon each weekend, making it one of the busiest community sports facilities in the region. On Saturday, Cookbundoon highlighted the event by playing a Youth Girls match at 4pm finishing in the twilight of the evening and capped off with an All Age Women’s match that featured last year’s two grand finalists.

Kayla Webb, the STFA Female Coordinator was pleased to see the girls getting the spotlight on such a milestone event.

“To have two female games highlight the official opening of the Lighting project at Cookbundoon was remarkable. Both matches were a great spectacle, the Youth girls loved the opportunity to play under lights in front of a big crowd, as well as getting to be a part of such an event.”

“Cookbundoon with these lights installed will have the opportunity to host higher level football in town in the future, with flexibility in scheduling a highly sought after condition on specific tournaments.”

The official opening was also a chance to acknowledge the many partners behind the project. The Minister of Sport, the Hon. Stephen Kamper for his support with the application. Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman supporting the grant application, and Goulburn Mulwaree Council assisting with landowner consent and project logistics throughout.

In the official presentation, STFA President Robert Scott spoke of the importance of upgrades to the facility, helping to provide more inclusive and flexible options for all competitions. Before passing onto Liz McKeon to speak on behalf of the Minister of Sport Stephen Kamper.

“This important project, Light Up Cookbundoon, was made possible through the NSW Government’s Level the Playing Field Program, which has committed up to $30 million to upgrade sporting facilities across the state. STFA & Cookbundoon received $872,744 under this program to install brand-new LED lighting on Fields 1, 2 and 3 and complete a power upgrade for the facility.”

“This upgrade will enable flexible evening training sessions, support higher-level competitions, and create the capacity for larger regional tournaments here at Cookbundoon. Most importantly, these upgrades benefit everyone—players, coaches, referees, volunteers, and spectators of all ages—and encourage broader community participation, especially among women and girls.”

“It gives Southern Tablelands Football Association the tools to better cater to our growing football community with targeted events and opportunities for all.” Mrs McKeon said in her speech on behalf of Stephen.

The STFA acknowledges Stephen’s support of the application, and thanks him and his office for allowing Liz to represent him on the night.

Wendy Tuckerman provided her support for the application and was proud to see the lights in full effect. Wendy spoke of the importance of community sport in her speech and acknowledged the work of the STFA board to win the grant and the local contractors for their hard work.

“I’m proud to see this upgrade delivered, I know how hard STFA has worked to secure this grant and lighting is a game changer. Only 26 projects were successful from 212 applications to the $30 million Level the Playing Field fund, making this win for Goulburn even more significant,” Mrs Tuckerman said.

The STFA would like to thank Wendy for her ongoing support of our facility and projects, and appreciate her time spent with us on the evening.

Robert extended the STFA’s sincere thanks to local contractors Aaron Grant Electrical, Coopers Earthmoving, ARW, Complete Power and Hollingworth Cranes, who contributed their expertise, with high-quality, trusted work being central to the project’s success.

Robert also passed on thanks and acknowledgment to Stephen Kamper and the NSW Government for their support with the application. The Goulburn Mulwaree Council and their ongoing support throughout the project from the draft stages through to the final stages of the project. Also thanking Councillors Daniel Strickland & Liz McKeon for attending the evening.

The final acknowledgment on the evening was for the STFA Board for the ongoing efforts with the lights now they are up and running. Noting the efforts of Jason Broadbent with the grant application process. A mountain of work across a two month period was put in preparing the application, obtaining documentation to support the need for this upgrade and meeting with Council & contractors to ensure there were no missing pieces.

“The hard work and long nights spent on the application was well worth it now seeing the full benefits of the lights in use each week. I couldn’t be happier with the result getting four fields lit up and a power upgrade that will cater for any future upgrades at the facility.” Mr Broadbent said.

With the power upgrade & lights on Field 1, 2 and 3 completed, all that remains is the final variation where Field 4 will be lit up as well. This project is expected to be fully finished by the end of September. This project was proudly funded by the NSW Government.

Local Sport Grant Delivers New STFA Rep Uniforms

The Southern Tablelands Football Association (STFA) were successful recipients of the NSW Government Local Sport Grant Program 2023/24 to the amount of $7,650.00, awarded early in the 2024 season. The STFA put in for this grant program in the hopes to revamp our representative team uniforms for the 2025-2026 season, hoping to save costs on player registration fees and still provide a high quality product.

The STFA’s plan to revamp all Representative team uniforms for our U12s through to U16s boys and girls teams is now a reality with this grant program. While our development U10 and U11 squads running a slightly different style of uniform during their SAP development years.

This grant awarded to us by the NSW Government, allows the STFA to provide new and updated kits to our teams, allowing us to keep the costs down and focus on spending representative fees on equipment and entry fees for our teams in 2025 and 2026. Having our teams all wearing the same uniforms reflects positively on our Association, looking the part both on and off the field.

We thank the NSW Government and the Local Sport Grant Program for providing us the opportunity to update and refresh our representative uniforms, and we acknowledge that the grant programs the NSW Government offers allows regional Associations like ours to focus on the equipment and player development side of things at a fraction of the cost.

We look forward to seeing our finished product in time for the 2025 season. Thank you to Evolution Trophies for looking after us, as always.

 

Minister for Sport Breaks Ground for Cookbundoon Light Project

Goulburn Mulwaree Council Mayor Peter Walker, STFA Competition Director Jason Broadbent, Minister for Sport Stephen Kamper, STFA President Robert Scott, Aaron Grant Electrical Director Aaron Grant, Council CEO Aaron Johansson.

Minister for Sport Stephen Kamper has visited Cookbundoon to break ground on the lighting upgrades delivered by the NSW Government as part of the Level the Playing Field program.

The $872,744 state government grant to install new LED lights on two of its 12 fields will extend playing hours, increase safety, encourage more female participation, and benefit players, coaches and spectators.

With the funds the Southern Tablelands Football Association (STFA) received, we have been able to light up main competition fields 1 and 2 to 200 lux for state competition standards, as well as field 3 to 100 lux for local competition and training standards.

Mr Stephen Kamper said it was fantastic to be in Goulburn to get work started on the lighting upgrades.

“The NSW Government is focused on improving our grassroots sporting infrastructure and upgrades like these will mean that sporting clubs will be able to get greater utilisation of the fields,” he said.

“We want to ensure that the next generation of athletes have the opportunity to participate in sport, and that’s exactly what this project will help deliver.”

At the moment, teams can only play until 3pm due to the lighting installed in 1972 by a local electrician. This project will help service our 1300+ strong player base for years to come, as well as open up the opportunities for further State competitions and Football NSW training camps to be held at Cookbundoon.

Construction on the new lighting is expected to be completed and operational in time for the 2025 competition season start in May.

The STFA would like to express our sincerest gratitude and thanks to Stephen Kamper, his office & team, and the NSW Government for their consideration with the grant program, and we can’t wait to see the project completed.

STFA receive funding for Lighting Upgrade at Cookbundoon

The Southern Tablelands Football Association would like to thank the NSW Government for their consideration and approval for our association for this amazing grant initiative, in particular The Hon. Stephen Kamper, Minister for Sport for NSW. This will change the landscape for Football in the Southern Tablelands for many years to come.

A key Goulburn sporting field on which more than 100 teams play football weekly will receive a major lighting upgrade.

The Southern Tablelands Football Association has scored an $872,744 state government grant to install new LED lights on two of its 12 fields.

The money, from the Level the Playing Field program, will extend playing hours, increase safety, encourage more female participation, and benefit players, coaches and spectators, says STFA president, Rob Scott.

“New lights will allow for flexible evening training hours, higher level football competitions and greater ability to host larger regional tournaments,” he said.

Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman announced the grant at the fields on Friday, May 10.

She and Hume MP Angus Taylor wrote backing letters for STFA’s grant application. Goulburn Mulwaree Council deputy mayor Steve Ruddell said council grants officers helped with the bid while other staff obtained landowner consent. The organisation will also appoint a project manager to oversee construction.

“LED lighting means a safe and brighter facility. It will also reduce maintenance costs by replacing the old and dilapidated lighting,” he said.

Mr Scott told The Post that the existing lighting was installed in 1972 by a local electrician.

A power upgrade, estimated to cost up to $200,000 will be needed for the new LED system.

STFA competition director, Jason Broadbent said the Association had been chasing grant money for more than 10 years.

“We throw our hat in the ring for any grant money that comes up. But when we saw that up to $2 million was available (in this fund), it was unanimous that we apply for the lights. It will help keep our costs down,” he said.

Currently, teams can only play until 3pm due to lighting. STFA has used the fields since 1992.

More than 100 teams across junior and senior ranks play at Cookbundoon on weekends. Schools also occasionally use it during the week.

In March, the STFA hosted the Merino Cup, which drew 87 teams and hundreds of people to town.

The Association’s women’s coordinator, Kayla Webb said the Matildas’ recent World Cup success had increased female interest in the sport. This year, five additional female teams were playing across junior and senior ranks.

The 2021 construction of the Graham Coe pavilion also included six change rooms which had been lacking for many years. Some of these are allocated for girls.

Ms Webb said the competition’s 132 teams included 76 boys and men’s teams, 23 mixed and and 33 girls and women’s teams.

Construction on the new lighting is expected to start in September and be completed by September, 2026.

A total 26 of the 212 applications to the $30m fund were successful.