Nadine Ward, president of the Goulburn Hockey Association, is over the moon.
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After years of kicking the idea around, and months of more recent negotiation, Goulburn Mulwaree Council have announced that they will be purchasing and refurbishing the hockey complex in the city's south.
"We are so excited about it!" Mrs Ward said. "We can't wait until we're using it."
In a move she called "very promising for the future of hockey in Goulburn", council will take ownership of 3.3 hectares of land off Finlay Road, and is now preparing a development application for subdivision that they hope to lodge within the month.
"Our intention is to work closely with Goulburn and District Hockey Association to now upgrade both fields to high quality water based fields," said a statement from council.
The outcome comes after months of wrangling between council and the owners of the land, Goulburn Workers Club.
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At issue was a disagreement between council and the Workers Club over the value of the land. At the time, general manager Warwick Bennett described the council's and the club's valuations as "poles apart."
No information has been released about the price now agreed upon.
Mrs Ward said that while the Hockey Association itself was effectively "the meat in the sandwich" of the negotiations, they were consulted throughout.
"As the users of the facility, we just explained what we would need to be able to grow," she said.
Meanwhile, passionate local hockey players are just keen to get onto the fields, which have been closed this season due to the COVID-19 shut downs.
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"We're hoping something will be in place by the beginning of the next outdoor season, but don't know if that's possible," she said.
Mayor Bob Kirk said he was pleased with the outcome after nine months of work on the project.
"The future of hockey in Goulburn and the region is now secure, and council is very proud of that achievement," he said.
"We can now set our sights on a long overdue upgrade of the complex, with the goal being to upgrade both fields to water based turfs, and to also undertake some significant amenities upgrades to improve the facilities for all hockey players."
An additional $3.5 million is needed for the redevelopment of the complex, and council will now work closely with both State and Federal Government in an effort to gain grant funding for the project.
The Goulburn Hockey Association's lease on the complex was to expire at the end of the 2021, but the future of hockey in the region is now secure.
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