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Fitzroy Crossing oval to get security boost with new fence, saving league thousands

Fitzroy Crossing oval to get security boost with new fence, saving league thousands

West Australian28-05-2025

Fitzroy Crossing Town Oval will receive a fencing upgrade which will save the Central Kimberley Football and Basketball League around $12,000 on security for the season's finals.
The Shire of Derby-West Kimberley has received $2.5 million in State funding for stage two of the Fitzroy Crossing Recreation Precinct Upgrade, part of which will go towards palisade fencing.
The most recently published council agenda says procurement work will begin on the fencing project and it is expected to be delivered in the coming financial year.
Central Kimberley Football and Basketball League football manager Geoff Davis welcomed the update on the fence upgrade, and said the project was long overdue.
'This has been promised for the last two years,' Mr Davis, a former shire councillor said.
Mr Davis said the current chain mesh fence was inadequate as people could cut through it to get in to watch the finals without paying, or to smuggle in alcohol.
'The impact of people sneaking through the fence means we lose money to run the league,' he said.
He said the league spent $12,000 on security for last year's finals to control the fence.
News of the fencing upgrade follows the installation of new floodlights last year.
Mr Davis was a councillor until February, when a mass resignation led to all council positions being declared vacant. Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley has since appointed Commissioner Jeff Gooding to oversee the council until the October elections.
Along with the fencing upgrade, the $2.5 million grant is also earmarked to be used for stage two of a youth precinct development. However, this project is now in doubt for the cash-strapped council.
In a report in the council agenda from May 22, a council staff member said delivery of the youth precinct would depend on future council considerations.
'The Shire may seek to vary the purpose of the funding should it not proceed,' the report said.
In a statement, the shire said the youth precinct project included construction of perimeter fencing around the recreation precinct.
'Stage two includes soft landscaping, picnic and seating facilities and then development of specialised play equipment for all age groups and abilities,' it said.
'The tender has been released and the perimeter fencing will proceed in the second part of this year.'

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