Last week, the Hon. Jennifer Rankine MP (Minister for Disability and Client Services) announced a grant of $30,000 for RDA to dismantle its indoor arena at Blackwood and transport it to O’Halloran Hill for eventual rebuilding. In addition, the Minister said HomeStart Finance had offered $20,000 to help meet other urgent building needs at the new centre.

 

And just before Christmas, the Office for Recreation and Sport offered $100,000 under its Community Recreation and Sport Facilities Program to build stables for RDA horses used for riding therapy and active recreation for children and adults with disabilities.

 

The new centre is being developed to replace an old RDA centre at Blackwood which closed before Christmas to make way for housing.

 

The new site is undeveloped without electricity and water. Before RDA leased the land two years ago, the 10-hectare property had only one tree and several sub-standard fences.

 

Since then, RDA volunteers have raised money to build new fences and planted hundreds of trees – although there was a constant struggle with rabbits and hares, and keeping seedling trees alive in exceptionally dry conditions.

 

A plan for a riding arena, carparking, administration building and sheds has been approved in principle by Marion Council, and a pasture management program will start this year.

 

RDASA state manager Kay Milton said these grants would give volunteers and riders a tremendous boost, as they were all sad to leave Blackwood and the task of rebuilding from scratch was daunting.

 

“This is a perfect Christmas and New Year gift,” Ms Milton said. “It means more children with disabilities will be able to access RDA’s unique horse riding therapy program, joining the 90 riders already registered with the former Blackwood centre.”

 

“We aim to have the new centre operating by July 20. We may not have an indoor arena by then, but it’s on the list!”

 

She said the Australian Army had offered to level the stables and arena site and create suitable drainage, as a training exercise in earthworks during February and March.

 

Another corporate partner, Boral Industries, has offered as much material as RDA needs from its Reynella quarry for the arena, buildings and roadway bases, although it is up to RDA to provide its own transport.

 

Ms Milton said, “We’ve approached a major truck company to sponsor two trucks for one month to do this work while the Army is onsite to help finish the job.”

 

Ms Milton said the State Government grants were a terrific New Year’s gift to help RDA riders and a wonderful boost to the volunteers working on the project.

 

“As with any major project, we could always do with a lot more help.”

 

“Tradesmen, truckies, riggers, plumbers, carpenters, electricians – if you can spare us a day or two, let me know!

 

“And when it’s ready to operate, they’ll be welcome to visit the new centre and see for themselves the smiles on the faces of children riding RDA ponies.”

 

ENDS