City of Whittlesea approved the concept design for the Regional Sports Precinct’s indoor stadium and outdoor netball facilities at its last council meeting.
The precinct, to be built on land at Everton Drive in Mernda, will feature four indoor multipurpose courts and up to eight outdoor netball courts, with the design including parking, landscaping, wetlands development and the installation of associated supporting infrastructure.
Construction will be staged for other facilities such as aquatic and leisure facilities, to be potentially included in the future.
City of Whittlesea chair administrator Lydia Wilson said the milestone was a major step in bringing northern communities with much-needed sporting and recreation facilities.
Ms Wilson said the Regional Sports Precinct was council’s largest single investment in social infrastructure.
“We know that a lack of netball and basketball courts in the northern corridor is a major barrier to participation,” she said.
“The Whittlesea Netball Basketball Plan 2019 found that about half of registered netball and basketball players had to leave the municipality to play.
“These new courts, with the final number to be determined by external funding availability, will go a long way to ensuring people can play the sports they love close to home.”
A process for an early works package to prepare the site for construction will begin in May.
The early works package will include the removal of rock, installation of retaining walls and other water management-related landscaping activities.
Extending Everton Drive east to connect with Plenty Road is expected to start shortly as part of the project, creating a new traffic light-controlled intersection.
The extension will provide residents with safe vehicular access to the Regional Sports Precinct and help ease congestion in the area.
Council has established a stakeholder reference group to provide feedback throughout the precinct’s design process.
The group includes representatives from Netball Victoria, Basketball Victoria, a local netball association and a local school, as well as a local resident and CALD advocate to ensure the facility meets the needs of the broader community.
To find more about the project, visit www.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/regionalsportsprecinct
Four basketball courts isn’t enough. Need at least eight and you may as well invest now because it’s too late after to find the money to build more!!
thought there was a “Watermarc” being built in 3-4 years Mernda..??? was in the pipeline NOW..??? no..???
Let’s build the pool , leisure centre first, that we’ve been patiently waiting for since we moved up here . The article says now has that swimming facilities will potentially be made in the future. Is this true ? . We need a hydro pool and a swimming area for the oldies to move the joints . Theres heaps of schools with great basketball courts locally . Can someone explain when pool is coming ?