DISASTER FUNDING SECURED $1,256,150

The MORNINGSIDE PANTHERS are delighted to advise our members and community facility users that we have successfully been assessed under the Queensland Government’s Community and Recreational Assets Recovery and Resilience Program to received a grant of $1,256,150. The money will greatly assist with urgent structural repairs to the clubhouse building and oval damage that has occurred during the recent Brisbane flood/rain events. Special thanks to our incredibly supportive local member, Di Farmer MP for championing this fantastic State Government initiative. Your never ending drive, energy and support of all groups within the Bulimba electorate is fantastic! In addition, we have also been successful with a criticality important oval drainage grant of $74,723 secured through the Gambling & Community Benefit Fund.

The Club has expended significant funds keeping the Panthers operations and facilities going over the past number of years. However, the flood and rain events have caused irreversible structural damage to building roofing, walls, and foundations that was something the club could not have independently paid to rectify. This assistance package is a tremendous initiative from the Queensland Government! It not only helps with repairs, it will greatly assist towards building ongoing resilience against future extreme weather events.

On top of the weather damage with the exponential growth in community numbers we have been struggling with our on going growth and developing a self sustainable community sporting club. We are already having to cap the local children numbers that we can offer places to in our junior sporting teams. These funds will assist in meeting the growth and heavy usage infrastructure demands.

The Community and Recreational Assets Recovery and Resilience Program covers 141 Queensland sporting clubs and 8 local councils that will benefit from $75 million in funding to help them repair and rebuild after being hit by major flooding and rain events since late 2021. The funding will be used for projects such as rebuilding courts, playing surfaces and facilities, and other flood repairs. The program is jointly funded by Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. Sport and Recreation officers undertook more than 150 site visits across Queensland to meet with those affected to ensure the funding made it to where it was most needed.

The Panthers are currently preparing key work parcels for Clubhouse internal/external structural works, repairs to change rooms damage and also oval drainage and irrigation improvement works. The work will focus not only on repair but redesign to improve our flood/rain resilience given our club’s geographic position in a low laying land area.

We are also working with key stakeholders on our umpires and visitors change room project to support the full integration of male and female community AFL at Hawthorne Park. As reported earlier, we have secured $200,000 from a Federal Grant and we are working hard to make our club fully sustainable for all in our local community.

We are the biggest AFL community club in Queensland and it doesn’t happen without a fantastic Board, great volunteers, passionate sponsors and supportive local stakeholders. The Panthers would to like to thank everyone who pulled together to help us secure the critical emergency funding. We have all worked hard as a great team during the unprecedented challenges of the last few years in keeping community sport going!

Bring on another 70 years of Panthers growth and support for our local community sport and recreation!