At the opening of the new amenities blocks at Canowindra Showground on Friday were Andrew Gee MP, Cabonne Councillors, Geoffrey Beath, President of Canowindra Showground Racecourse Land Managers Committee, other committee members and community members.
Three new amenities blocks have opened at the Canowindra Showground and will support regional sports and the town’s bustling tourism industry.
Funded thanks to a $250,000 Australian Government investment, the new facilities include showers and accessible toilets and replaced the demolished former amenities block.
Federal Member for Calare Andrew Gee said the former showground amenities were built in the 1940s and needed replacing. “Visitors were using facilities that were well past their used-by date and difficult to access in bad weather,” Mr Gee said.
“These new amenities will be much appreciated by sport groups, community or- ganisations and local visitors alike.”
“The facilities can now accommodate large crowds and remove the expense of hiring mobile facilities for events including the Canowindra International Balloon Challenge which lights up the sky for more than 5,000 spectators from all over Australia,” continued Mr Gee.
President of the Canowindra Showground Racecourse Land Managers Committee, Geoffrey Beath said the grant has been integral to the ongoing use and maintenance of the showground. “It’s been a life-saving grant for the Canowindra Showground as the amenities were well beyond their used-by-date,” Mr Beath said. “The new facilities allow us to better accommodate showground visitors for the various events that are held throughout the year.”
“A big thank you to the Australian Government for the funding, to the Canowindra Showground Racecourse Land Managers Committee and to our local contractors MGA Central West, D & E Electrical, Steve Thompson Plumbing and Canowindra Westlime for their contributions,” Mr Beath said.