INVERELL Mayor Paul Harmon and the Member for Northern Tablelands, Adam Marshall, took to the cricket pitch to test out the $1.16 million Cameron Park redevelopment after the official opening ceremony on Wednesday morning.
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“It’s fantastic, if only I could bat and bowl to the standard of this facility,” Cr Harmon said, still laughing at his own rusty demonstration.
“I’m a great number 15 batsman and I don’t get to bowl very often.”
I didn’t think politicians could play cricket, John Howard couldn’t.
- Unknown junior cricketer on the field at the time
In truth, his attempts produced some pretty ordinary batting and he was removed from the crease by some slick bowling from Mr Marshall, which attracted comment from one of the junior players who were fielding for the two.
“I didn’t think politicians could play cricket, John Howard couldn’t,” someone observed loudly and dryly and everyone laughed.
“This is a great redevelopment. We’ve seen this change from the desert it was to what it is today, Cr Harmon said. “And that’s come about by Adam chasing up the funding for it, and his tenacity in pushing how much Inverell deserved this.”
Cr Harmon said the funding consisted of about $510,000 from the state government and $650,000 of council funding.
In terms of sports facilities, Mr Marshall thought Inverell was punching well above its weight and even harder than Tamworth.
“Not that it is a competition, but I just think that Inverell’s got some magnificent facilities,” Mr Marshall said.
“Particularly when the Inverell Sports Complex receives its $1.1 million upgrade, and you’ve got this facility at Cameron Park combined with Varley Oval.
“I would challenge anyone to find a better sports ground package anywhere in country NSW.”
Cr Harmon agreed.
“Now we have state of the arts sporting facilities for the grass roots of sports and that’s the area we have to look after,” Cr Harmon said.
“We need that environment where kids are able to feel safe and play on good facilities. It gives them the confidence to be better players in whatever sport they chose.”
