PLANS for a $46.7 million revamp of Karbeethan Reserve have been locked in, but locals are unlikely to see shovels in the ground any time soon.

Gawler Council’s Community and Corporate Services Committee endorsed council’s final masterplan for the project at a meeting last week, nearly 18 months after it was first approved for public consultation.

A report tabled at the meeting revealed the Evanston Gardens sporting precinct’s full revamp is set to cost $46.7 million, almost $10 million more than what council estimated it could cost in May.

The upgrade is set to take place in four stages, with council ruling out the possibility of funding the project in one go due to financial constraints.

According to the report, council would have to wait until at least 2025 to have the financial ability to fund less than half the entire project at once.

Instead, council will focus on getting the proposed first stage – which will cost $18 million alone – “shovel ready” to take advantage of any possible federal or state government funding it can apply for.

During last week’s meeting, Gawler Mayor Karen Redman said it was important to show council wants to progress the upgrade, despite not having the immediate finances to do so.

“We don’t have the financial capacity, currently, to invest in large projects,” she said. “That’s quite clear.

“We’ve got a $1.7 million deficit coming up in the 2020/21 budget and that will need to be managed.

“By putting our masterplan in place, if nothing else, it gives myself as mayor and the CEO (Henry Inat) the capacity to lobby and advocate and that’s actually quite important.”

Stage one is set to see a clubroom facility, new baseball diamond, a synthetic football pitch, extra car parking and a multi-use turf area constructed.

Subsequent stages will see new turf football pitches, a cricket oval, more baseball and softball diamonds and a multi-use indoor facility for dance and gymnastic classes.

The staged nature of the project had drawn the ire of some Karbeethan Reserve tenants – namely Riverside Cricket Club and the Gawler & District Softball Association – over fears they could be left without a home as council sought additional funding to complete the latter stages.

Councillor David Hughes said it was important all tenants got behind the proposal to see its delivery.

“I think it’s really important to put this in place, keep it rolling and plan for the future,” he said.

“It really needs the support of our sporting clubs and the community to help lobby the Federal Government and State Government.”