Sports facilities

We know that strong sports clubs help to build a strong sense of community. That’s why we’re investing millions of dollars into upgrading sports grounds and facilities in Melbourne’s northern and eastern suburbs, to keep local clubs playing and thriving during construction and beyond.

More than 20,000 players from 34 sporting clubs and associations will benefit from an initial $68 million investment to help upgrade sporting facilities while North East Link gets built.

Three new pavilions are complete and one upgraded to provide additional change facilities, with an additional 3 new pavilions to be built by 2027. New facilities will give football, soccer, cricket and tennis clubs with better grounds, improved lighting, and female-friendly change rooms.

We’re committed to minimising the impact on sporting and recreation facilities and we’ve been working closely with clubs that will need to relocate to new grounds, either temporarily or permanently. We’ve worked in collaboration with local councils, sports leagues and state sporting associations, schools, and landowners, to determine the best places to deliver these upgrades for the greatest community benefit and to ensure they are set up for success well into the future. The outcomes of the Environment Effects Statement (EES) process also helped to determine where the investments were made.

Major upgrades to Ford Park, Binnak Park, Greensborough College and Veneto Club have been completed, with planning at remaining sites well underway.

Looking at Binnak Park pavilion and car park from the oval at dusk, surrounded by mature trees to the right and houses to the left. The interior and exterior pavilion lights are turned on and the oval floodlights are also turned on. — New pavilion and efficient field lighting at Binnak Park, Watsonia North

The balcony view from Binnak Park pavilion looking out onto the oval. — Balcony view from the new Binnak Park pavilion, Watsonia North

Looking at Binnak Park pavilion from the oval. The pavilion has been built on a grassed embankment which leads up to a line of mature trees behind the pavilion. — New pavilion at Binnak Park, Watsonia North

Inside the new Binnak Park pavilion with large glass doors on one side which lead onto the balcony which overlooks the oval. — Inside the new Binnak Park pavilion, Watsonia North

A close up of tree planting and outdoor climbing blocks for children at Ford Park in Bellfield. — New trees and climbing equipment at Ford Park, Bellfield

Outdoor fitness exercise station at Ford Park featuring a sit up bench, pull up rings and bar equipment. — New exercise equipment at Ford Park, Bellfield

New multi-use court at Ford Park. The court is bright cobalt blue and has a basketball ring/futsal goal at each end, bench seats are positioned around the court and surrounded by new plants, and the court is adjacent to the oval. — New multi-use court at Ford Park, Bellfield

Players from Bellfield Cricket Club practicing bowling at batting in the new outdoor cricket practice nets. — Bellfield Cricket Club training at the new Ford Park cricket practice nets in Bellfield

Looking at Ford Park pavilion from the oval. Mature trees are behind the pavilion and there are four floodlights positioned around the oval. — New pavilion at Ford Park, Bellfield

The sun setting on Greensborough College oval looking towards the newly built pavilion. There's a small, covered grandstand in the foreground overlooking the new synthetic turf soccer pitch. — New pavilion and synthetic soccer pitch at Greensborough College

A soccer team practicing on the oval at dusk in front of the Greensborough College pavilion. The floodlight on the oval is turned on and the lights are on inside the pavilion. — New pavilion at Greensborough College

Two young boys kicking an AFL football on the oval at Greensborough College with the new pavilion in the background. — St Mary's Greensborough JFC, on the upgraded Greensborough College AFL/Cricket oval

A wide shot of the synthetic soccer pitch at Veneto Club at dusk. The floodlights are turned on and numerous players are practising soccer in groups. — New synthetic soccer pitch at Veneto Club, Bulleen

Members of FC Bulleen Lions training on the Veneto Club synthetic soccer pitch. — FC Bulleen Lions training on the new Veneto Club synthetic soccer pitch in Bulleen

Two young soccer players standing in a sporting club locker room. They are wearing soccer uniforms and one of them is holding a soccer ball. — FC Bulleen Lions players, Aeryn and Dylan, in the new change rooms at Veneto Club, Bulleen

Upgrades to Binnak Park were completed in October 2021.

Upgrades include a new pavilion, which provides an uninterrupted view of the ground, new social space for club functions, and accessible and female friendly change rooms.

Upgrades also include a fully reconstructed sports field, new cricket practice nets, improved lighting, an electronic scoreboard, and more parking spaces. Now that construction is complete, Plenty Valley Cricket Club and Watsonia Sporting Club have temporarily relocated across to join Binnak Park’s existing users, Parade St. Damian’s Junior Football Club.

To build the North East Link tunnels and connection to the Eastern Freeway, some community sports fields and facilities within Bulleen Park, Bulleen will need to be temporarily or permanently relocated.

North East Link Program (NELP) teams have been working closely with clubs, leagues, state sporting associations and local council, to ensure each local user group makes a smooth transition to its temporary or new home with minimal disruption.

NELP undertook a comprehensive consultation process in the preparation of the Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) which was recently been approved by the Minister for Planning on 10 October 2022.

These upgrades will include:

2 new replacement pavilions
realignment and redevelopment of the 3 existing sports ovals
upgrades to sports field lighting, cricket nets, and fencing
planting of new trees and vegetation
upgrading playground equipment and park amenities
reconfigured car parking.

You can view the Planning Scheme Amendment documents on Engage Victoria.

Elgar Park North West Oval – currently on hold until designs have progressed to confirm if this site will be impacted. If impacted, mitigation sites include Wilson Reserve (Manningham City Council) and Springfield Reserve (Whitehorse City Council). We'll progress discussions with Council’s and relevant clubs once more information regarding impact is known.

Elgar Park North East Oval is no longer required by NELP for construction laydown

New facilities at Ford Park are now complete as part of our initial $68 million investment to keep local sports thriving while we build North East Link.

The Ford Park upgrades are consistent with the Banyule City Council endorsed Master Plan developed in 2016 and include refurbishing both the Southern and Northern Ovals as well as upgrading sports field lighting, building a new pavilion, new synthetic turf cricket nets and more car parking. An upgrade to the Northern Oval will be undertaken as stage 2 works.

The new facilities now accommodate Yarra Junior Football League (YJFL) who have moved from Bulleen Park while we build North East Link. The sports upgrades will also benefit the community and existing users, Ivanhoe Junior Football Club and Bellfield Cricket Club. Official matches on the upgraded Southern Oval have been underway since the commencement of the 2022 season

Sports upgrades at Greensborough College are now complete and are being utilised by the school, local clubs, and the community.

The new facilities include a pavilion overlooking the new natural turf AFL/cricket oval and synthetic soccer pitch, and new cricket nets, scoreboards, field lighting, and a new car park.

Greensborough College’s new facilities are being used by Watsonia Heights Football Club, Macleod Junior Football Club, Macleod Cricket Club, St. Mary’s Greensborough Junior Football Club and St. Mary’s Football Club, which previously used AK Lines Reserve, Gabonia Reserve or Winsor Reserve for training and games.

This project was delivered in conjunction with the Victorian Schools Building Authority (VSBA). We’ve also worked closely with Banyule City Council who manage the allocation and maintenance of the grounds outside school times.

Sports upgrades at Veneto Club were the first to be completed under North East Link’s massive investment in local sports grounds in April 2021.

Veneto Club’s new field lights allow matches and training to be held at night, and their brand-new synthetic soccer pitch provides a stronger playing surface that can accommodate up to three times the use of the previous natural turf field.

With the brand-new synthetic soccer pitch, sports field lighting, behind goal and boundary fencing; and new club changerooms, these upgrades allow Veneto Club to host more soccer.

The Boroondara Tennis Centre will be permanently impacted due to construction and operation of the North East Link Eastern Freeway interchange. The State reached agreement with Boroondara City Council for tennis centre land acquisition and business closure. The Boroondara Tennis Centre will no longer operate from 22 December 2022.

Separately to this, the State Government reached agreement with Monash City Council to provide a new regional tennis centre adjacent to Glen Waverley Golf Course.

Planning and Construction

Glen Waverley Sports Hub

Glen Waverley Sports Hub, which includes the existing Glen Waverley Golf Course and the new regional tennis centre, it will include:

18 International Tennis Federation (ITF) standard courts
LED floodlighting on all courts
consolidation of existing golf buildings to create a multi-use pavilion with change rooms, public amenities, kiosk/café, social space, and club storage rooms
general amenities, including drinking fountains, bench seating, shade, and outdoor gathering spaces
a significant upgrade to the intersection of Waverley and Jells Roads
car parking improvements.

Given the loss of the Boroondara Tennis Centre, the State will contribute $21million to the tennis infrastructure and intersection upgrades for this site.

Status

The intersection upgrade was completed in late 2022. Construction for the Sports Hub commenced in late 2022 and completion is expected in early 2024.

Templestowe Road Soccer Facilities

The Templestowe Road soccer facilities in Bulleen will provide relocation for the soccer clubs displaced from fields 4 and 5 and Oval 1 at Bulleen Park.

Upgrades include:

pavilion with change rooms, public amenities, kiosk/café, social space, and club storage rooms
2 natural turf soccer pitches
1 synthetic soccer pitch
sports field lighting
carparking
ecological value area
pedestrian and cyclist connections.

Status

Site investigations will happen in February 2023, with construction to follow through 2023 and completion expected by mid 2024.

Read the January Community Update