Member for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain today announced that an Albanese Labor Government will invest $1 million for upgrades to the changerooms at Freebody Oval in Queanbeyan.

If elected, this investment will hugely improve the facilities and will enable the Queanbeyan Kangaroos Rugby League Football Club to attract new players.

“Sporting clubs are the life and blood of our local communities, but they need suitable facilities if they are going to be viable in bringing us together,” Kristy said.

“Freebody Oval is used year-round by the Kangaroos and the Queanbeyan Cricket Club and yet the facilities in dire need of improvements.

“These are growing clubs, we are seeing more kids sign up, more young girls keen to play and more women playing as well so we need to make sure our girls and women are accommodated.

“This investment from Labor will see Freebody Oval become a place where more local families can come to spend their time outdoors, kicking a footy, or catching and hitting a ball.

“The past two and a bit years have been really tough on families right across the Queanbeyan region, and this upgrade from Labor is an investment to make sure we have modern and safe facilities where local clubs, families and members of the community can once again come together for something really positive.

“Investing in community-level sporting infrastructure is a priority for me because I know how important sport is to our communities - it fosters inclusiveness, teamwork, respect, and leadership. Kids learn all those values that are central to a strong community, and of course there are preventative health benefits as well.”