18 Jul 2018 Seymour Telegraph, Seymour VIC (General News) by Alison OConnor The long-awaited femalefriendly change rooms at Kings Park, complete with shower and toilet facilities, umpire space, a kiosk and a first-aid room, were officially opened on Friday. The facilities have been a long time coming for the 200-plus netballers who play and train at Kings Park. Until now, the only place to change was in cars or the parks toilets and any gear had to be left court side. Now netball players, officials and supporters have state-of-the-art facilities at the complex. The $444 927 project was jointly funded by Mitchell Shire Council ($302 000), the Victorian Government ($100 000) and the netballfootball clubs and netball association which use the facility ($35 000). The change rooms have been one of the top priorities for Kings Parks Committee of Management for some time. The committee and clubs which use the facilities approached State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes in 2016 in the hope of making the dream a reality. Ms Symes said Labors investment in the change rooms, combined with the second netball court at Kings Park, which was nearing completion, provided the infrastructure long needed at the facility. Labor recently kicked in $85 552 for a second netball court at the sports hub and weve backed it up with two new female-friendly change rooms, Ms Symes said. These new change rooms will now provide players with the facilities they need to train and play the game they love. The change rooms will host a multitude of local clubs playing football and netball and make it easier for them to grow their memberships and schedule training and matches. This has been a real community effort, with the clubs, council and I working together to deliver this fantastic outcome for Seymour. Mitchell Shire Mayor Rhonda Sanderson said Kings Park was highly used for the sport, with 14 senior and junior teams calling the courts home and netball played every night of the week at the complex. Until now, hundreds of netballers have had nowhere to prepare for training and game day and have had to line their bags up along the sides of the court and get changed in the public toilets or in cars, she said. Along with the new second netball court, which will be opened shortly, these new change room facilities will further enhance Kings Park as one of the most valued and versatile complexes in the region and will be a major boost for female sport and netball in Seymour.