Murray MP Helen Dalton welcomes the CRIF investment to improve the road network at Leeton Showground. Photo: Supplied.
The Leeton Showground has received a $300,000 upgrade, including improvements to safety, accessibility, and roads.
Crown Lands, part of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, funded the $323,421 project through its Crown Reserves Improvement Fund (CRIF).
Leeton Mayor George Weston welcomed the investment.
“I’m very pleased that we’ve got the money, which is great in that it’ll benefit a lot of people and the stakeholders of Leeton,” he said.
“There are many people who use that area down there.”
Leeton Showground hosts an annual show. Photo: Facebook Leeton Showground.
Murray MP Helen Dalton stressed the importance of country shows.
“They create a wholesome family-friendly environment and this investment in infrastructure is welcome news for the future of this amazing event.”
Leeton Showground was established over a century ago and provides a versatile space for a campsite, a recreational field for the local AFL and netball teams and a home for the Leeton Harness Trotting Club and Leeton Show Society.
However, the showground’s unsealed roads were no longer fit for purpose. During windstorms, dust would sweep across the showground and onto nearby properties, and the roads would become muddy after heavy rain.
The CRIF funding was used to pave about 5000 sqm of road, and remove a derelict shed and hazardous materials including, asbestos. A new, larger storage shed was built that will provide storage space for the showground’s various users.
The infrastructure upgrades provide for emergency services including helicopter rescue services that use the showground as a landing site, visitors including parents with strollers, and people using walkers or wheelchairs, who will have an easier time accessing the area.
Aside from improvements to road safety and amenities, the investment has also been used to allow the showground to hold more events such as markets and school career days, and to substantially lower maintenance costs.
“The people of Murray love the outdoors and Leeton Showground is a treasured meeting place for the whole community, and the annual show highlights their achievements and successes,” Mrs Dalton said.
“It’s important people in our community have access to the best facilities, and this new road will ensure the showground can continue to grow and hold more events into the future.”
