The Grafton Rifle Club have benefited from joint funding, courtesy of the Federal and State Governments.

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan and Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis revealed the club will receive $80000 through the Essential Community Sport Assets Program under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements which assists sporting clubs impacted by flooding as a result of natural disasters in 2022.

Mr Hogan said the Grafton Rifle Club suffered damage to their internal road due to the volume of rain which the drainage system was not able to handle, and the funding will help future proof its facilities by repairing and upgrading infrastructure so it can withstand large rain events.

“This funding will repair the drainage system by installing three large concrete pipes to assist with faster drainage, which means the road will be less impacted by large volumes of water,” he said. “Additionally, the entire road will be reformed, and the final 200m of the internal road will be raised to ensure access will not be cut off.

“This is exactly what this funding was meant for, and I am pleased that the Grafton Rifle Club can breathe new life into its club and have the confidence it can withstand future events and gain access faster if another event was to occur.”

Mr Gulaptis said it’s important that sporting clubs rebuild with confidence after last year’s flood events, and congratulated the Grafton Rifle Club and the other approved organisations who use the facility for licensed shooters.

“This project will also create jobs and benefit our local economy, which is a key part of the recovery process,” he said.

The Grafton Rifle Club are among 96 sporting clubs across NSW to receive $36 million in funding to help rebuild and repair community sport infrastructure.