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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.