THE City of Whittlesea has marked the beginning of construction for a major sports lighting upgrade at Mill Park Lakes Recreation Reserve in South Morang.
The project will replace the ageing metal halide system with modern 100-lux LED lights that meet AFL Victoria and cricket standards.
The $434,000 upgrade will improve visibility and significantly increase field use, while also reducing energy consumption, lowering maintenance costs, and cutting carbon emissions.
Sport plays a central role in the Mill Park Lakes community, with participation in football and cricket growing, particularly among juniors and women’s programs.
The new lights will give local clubs more flexibility for training, night fixtures, preseason activities, and community events.
South Morang Football Netball Club chairman Gary Kallinikos said the lighting upgrade would be “huge for the club”.
He said the club’s rapidly expanding women’s and junior programs had made it difficult to hold training and games on the main oval.
“In season 2025 we had 21 junior sides but in season 2026, thus far, we already have 25 junior sides and we’ve increased the number of women’s teams too,” he said.
“This will give us the opportunity to train more at night-time and will improve safety by removing the dark areas in the pockets of the ground.
“And it will also allow us to play more of our home games here at home instead of away because the lights will give us the opportunity to play Friday night games.”
City of Whittlesea Mayor Councillor Lawrie Cox said this would be a crucial project for the South Morang Football Netball Club going forward.
“This project will make the reserve safer and more accessible, supporting our clubs and encouraging participation, particularly among women and girls,” he said.
“We thank the state government for helping make this lighting upgrade possible. When different levels of government work together, the community really benefits.
“It’s a significant investment in our local sporting facilities, and I’m excited to see the benefits when the lights are switched on in 2026.”
The project demonstrates Council’s commitment to fair access to sport for everyone, in line with the Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap and Council’s Fair Access Policy.
Funding includes $250,000 from the Victorian Government’s Local Sports Infrastructure Fund and a $10,000 contribution from the South Morang Football Netball Club.
