Flood recovery: Shepparton Swans facing two seasons with temporary facilities
Flood waters have long gone, but the recovery is far from over for a Goulburn Valley league football-netball club.
Shepparton Swans Football-Netball Club will resume pre-season training away from its home ground in the lead-up to the Goulburn Valley league season after suffering major flood damage two months ago.
Princess Park on the banks of the Goulburn River remains off-limits with the change rooms and social room building under more than a metre of water at the height of the flood crisis.
Portable change rooms will be created at the venue with assistance from the AFL, with club officials hoping they will be ready for the season opener against Mooroopna on Easter Saturday.
In the lead-up to Christmas, damaged floor board and walls were stripped out in preparation for a full insurance assessment.
Club president Jarrod Sutherland said there had always been a long-term plan to replace the 60-year-old facility at Princess Park.
But he fears the major flood will be used as an excuse to relocate the club somewhere else in the city.
“The council needs to continue with their original plan for a new building,” Mr Sutherland said.
“There have been plans for a floodproof venue down there for 10 years.
“We can’t have a little hiccup and there be a big change of plan.”
Shepparton Swans share Princess Park with cricket and athletics and an off-leash dog park. A lighting upgrade was completed in recent years.
Mr Sutherland said he expected the club to be using portable facilities for the next two years.
An estimated $220,000 worth of damage was caused when its change rooms, social rooms and canteen area flooded in November.
But the club is back training at its home ground, the John Foord Oval, in preparation for the Ovens and Murray season starting in early April.
Gender footy wars tearing town apart
A volatile break-up between a women’s footy team and their century-old club is threatening to split a country town and looks headed for a costly battle in the courts.
Country club under investigation for salary cap breach
One of country footy’s most dominant clubs of the last 15 years has revealed it is being investigated for possible salary cap “anomalies”. Here’s what we know.