Baseball and softball players in Melbourne’s southeast will soon hit more home runs with major upgrades now complete thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams today joined the City of Greater Dandenong and representatives from the South East Warriors Baseball Club and Dandenong Softball Association to officially open new dugouts and a batting cage at Dandenong’s Police Paddocks Softball and Baseball Precinct.

The upgrade was made possible with more than $148,000 from the Labor Government’s Local Sports Infrastructure Fund.

With more than 130 players and growing, home teams like the Warriors have seen a surge in popularity and demand, and the upgraded lighting along with a three-lane batting cage will provide even more opportunities.

The new dugouts at the reserve on diamonds two, four and five will provide a dedicated space for teams to prepare for training and the big hits.

The redevelopment provides the perfect place for local baseball and softball to stage more training, competition games and development programs.

The Government has invested more than $1.6 billion in community sport and active recreation infrastructure since 2014.

From pavilion upgrades to baseball pitch upgrades, investments like these provide high-quality and accessible places for Victorians to reap the benefits of sport and active recreation participation.

These investments are all about creating jobs, stimulating local economies and improving the health, wellbeing, and social outcomes for Victorian communities.

Minister Williams also acknowledged City of Greater Dandenong for its more than $415,000 contribution to the project.

For more information about infrastructure grant opportunities available through the Government visit sport.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams

“Grassroots venues such as Police Paddocks Softball and Baseball Precinct play a vital role encouraging more in the community to get into local sport and recreation.

Local baseball and softball deserve appropriate facilities they can be proud of. The new dugouts and batting cage will enable the clubs to  welcome more players, train longer, and compete at quality facilities.”