Bulleen’s new soccer facilities have opened to the public, with the new sports precinct ensuring local players can continue to thrive while North East Link is built.
The new sport precinct on Templestowe Road features three soccer fields including one synthetic pitch, a pavilion with facilities for all ages and genders, a 176-space car park, and pedestrian and cycling connections to the Yarra River.
Named Powerful Owl Park, it takes its title from an owl species found in the Yarra River corridor.
The new sports pavilion has been named Balit-muk-muk Pavilion which is the Wurundjeri Indigenous language translation of Powerful Owl, while the synthetic field has been named Dino Negri Field after a prominent community member, and the natural turf fields are named Balayung Field and Waa Field after the Indigenous language translations for Bat and Crow respectively.
The project was delivered by North East Link and Development Victoria, with construction contractor 2Construct, while Manningham Council will manage the use of the new facilities.
To keep local sports clubs thriving during construction, 19 sports grounds have been upgraded with improved playing surfaces, field lights and six brand-new accessible pavilions that include female change rooms. This includes new and upgraded facilities at Ford Park, Binnak Park, and Veneto Club.
The opening of the new soccer facilities comes as a huge amount of work is underway across Melbourne’s north east. Two massive tunnel boring machines are nearly ready to start tunnelling, and worksites are being set up along the Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road, getting ready to upgrade the freeways to connect with the North East Link tunnels.
The community is invited to help celebrate the opening of Powerful Owl Park on Sunday 11 August between 10am-1pm at 37 Templestowe Road Bulleen. There will be a chance to tour the new facility, and free BBQ, coffee and face painting.