Part 1: Urandangi gets active in the park

If the kids at Urandangi didn't know how to play basketball on their new court at first, you really couldn't blame them.

Set 400 kilometres north-west of Boulia and about 200km south of Mount Isa, the tiny township is about as isolated as it gets.

Kids in and around Urandangi have always had to rely on keeping themselves amused, and sport and recreation facilities have been virtually non-existent since the settlement was founded in 1885.

That all changed in late 2003 when, thanks to the Queensland Government, a multipurpose basketball half-court was built in a park right in the middle of town.

Shade structures along with a balance beam, chin up bars and other exercise equipment were constructed adjacent to the court.

Boulia Shire Council's Community and Economic Development Officer Carole Ballard said the funding allocation of just under $50,000 towards the project under the Department's Local Government Development Program (now the Local Sport and Recreation Program) would forever change the predominately Indigenous community.

"Before the court there was literally nothing out there for the kids," she said.

"When the contractor was out there building it they'd just sit there and watch, asking all the time 'when's it going to be finished'."

Mrs Ballard saw first-hand the excitement building as the project progressed and decided to apply for additional funding to run a 'come and try' day in conjunction with an official opening ceremony.

The council put together a proposal and was subsequently granted $6300 under the 'participation' category of the Local Government Development Program.

Children from throughout the area flocked to the new court for the event, which saw the Member for Mount Isa Tony McGrady performing the official duties in front of more than 150 people before North Queensland Cowboys rugby league players Ty Williams and Aaron Payne ran a series of training clinics for the kids.

"To be there on the day it opened with the traditional land owners and seeing the looks on the kids' faces was something very special," Mrs Ballard said.

"While they didn't know how to play at first, they're learning fast and are there just about all the time. They're really proud of it and have a real sense of ownership of it. They've never had something like this before that's theirs."

Each year, about $5 million is distributed to local governments for recreation planning, participation initiatives and local-level sport and recreation facilities through the Local Government Development Program.

The program recognises the important role that local councils have in providing sport and recreation opportunities for everyday Queenslanders.

Similarly it demonstrates the State Government's commitment to supporting them in this endeavour by providing funding for recreation planning, education and training initiatives, and local-level facilities like walking paths and cycleways.

Read more about Boulia Shire Council made the new facilities a reality.