Dendy Park LED lighting upgrade – unsuccessful grant application

Following the completion of the community consultation, Council applied for grant funding from the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions requesting funding for the lighting project. In May 2025, we received notification from Sport and Recreation Victoria’s Director of Community Infrastructure and Place that our application for the Victorian Government’s 2024-25 Local Sports Infrastructure Fund was unsuccessful.

Sport and Recreation Victoria received many applications to the program from Local Government Authorities across Victoria. All applications were considered against the eligibility and assessment criteria and investment priorities outlined in the 2024-25 Local Sports Infrastructure Fund Guidelines

Council Officers requested feedback from Sport and Recreation Victoria to help understand the decision on the unsuccessful application. The feedback provided included:

• Structural Assessment: Sport and Recreation Victoria indicated a preference for a comprehensive structural assessment of the poles, rather than the brief report that was submitted. This level of detail has not previously been a determining factor, which is worth noting for future applications.
• Lighting Uniformity: concerns were raised about poor uniformity levels on some of the smaller grounds during night matches. In future submissions, it will be important to clarify that these grounds are not intended for night use and to highlight that the primary grounds meet all uniformity requirements.
• Community Engagement: Sport and Recreation Victoria required evidence of a letterbox drop as part of the community engagement process. Although this was completed, it appears the application did not clearly communicate this activity.

Overall, Sport and Recreation Victoria considered the application to be strong but noted that the funding round was highly competitive.

Sport and Recreation Victoria advised that the same funding stream will reopen later this year and encouraged Council to address the identified issues and reapply. However, this may not align with current project timelines, as the tender process is scheduled for August. If timing permits, Council will consider resubmitting the application.

At present, there are no alternative funding opportunities available for this project. Council will continue to monitor for new opportunities and apply as they arise.

The full project costs were submitted and have been approved as part of the LED lighting program in the 2025-2026 capital budget.