Skipton Rec Reserve was vital during recent bushfires, but has been begging for funding since 2017

Skipton’s recreation reserve has missed out on state funding yet again, despite nearly a decade of lobbying for female-friendly change rooms and upgraded community facilities in a town still recovering from January’s bushfires.

The background: A $37 million joint state and federal bushfire recovery package was announced last week, aimed at supporting communities impacted by the January 2026 fires.

• The recovery package includes funding for more than 100 temporary modular homes for uninsured or underinsured residents; 

• Extra legal support for families, businesses and farmers;

• And a boost to rural financial and wellbeing counselling services for fire-affected communities.

Zoom out: In January, fast-moving fires burnt about 19,000 hectares across Streatham, outer Skipton and Carranballac, destroying homes, farming infrastructure and more than 25 structures.

• The Skipton Rec Reserve’s kitchen was opened throughout January to provide meals to residents affected by the fires. 

Missing the mark: Corangamite Shire Council mayor Kate Makin said on Monday the state cash would not address the clear need for upgrades at a facility used to provide relief and support during extreme weather.

“We welcome any funding from the state government with bushfire recovery,” Makin, who believes significant gaps remain, told the Brolga.

• Corangamite Shire Council says the Skipton Recreation Reserve redevelopment project has been “shovel-ready” for years, but was overlooked in this month’s state budget. It continues a frustrating pattern for the small rural community.

A long journey: Skipton Football Netball Club secretary Simone Smith said in a statement locals had been pushing for the redevelopment since 2017, missing out on two election commitments, three state budget bids and multiple grant applications along the way.

• “We have remained apolitical throughout this process but it seems that both state and federal governments continue to ignore the urgency and necessity to fund this important infrastructure,” Smith said.

What do they need? The proposed $2.5 million upgrade to the Skipton Recreation Reserve would include female-friendly change rooms for footballers, netballers and umpires, accessible public toilets, improved lighting, storage and upgraded social spaces.

• Corangamite Shire Mayor Kate Makin said the lack of female-friendly facilities was increasingly out of step with how heavily the reserve was being used.

• “It is just going forward in leaps and bounds,” Makin said. “They get so many people there on a weekend to play netball or umpire or play football. It's just something that we expect at all rec reserves now, is that there's female-friendly change rooms, and this rec reserve does not have that.”

A regional push: Makin said councils across regional Victoria were increasingly under pressure to upgrade ageing recreation facilities which often sit on Crown land owned by the state government.

• “We still expect the same facilities that you get in a metro town,” she said. “Why should we, out here in the rural section, be any more disadvantaged than what our metro counterparts are at?”

• The funding rejection comes as other regional recreation reserves across western Victoria begin securing major upgrades, including female-friendly pavilion redevelopments at Mortlake and Simpson.

But Makin said facilities like Skipton’s carried added importance in rural communities, functioning as gathering places and support hubs during fires, floods and drought.

“This is our meeting place. This is where we all get together on a regular basis. This is our outlet,” she said.