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Macedon Ranges Shire Council has announced that work has commenced on the first stage of its Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct project.

With the construction contract awarded to the Lloyd Group on sod-turning ceremony at the end of May celebrated the start of work at the project site in New Gisborne.

The precinct will encompass a 15-hectare regional park providing facilities for sport and recreation activities. Stage 1 of the project consists of a three-court Sports Hub, a natural turf oval and sports pavilion, passive recreation facilities, landscaping and associated infrastructure.

Highlighting the new sports precinct as a key project for the Shire, Macedon Ranges Mayor Jennifer Anderson said the project will provide better access to community sports needs and improved social connections and health outcomes for the growing Macedon Ranges community.

She advised “this new multi-facility sports precinct will allow residents to come together for a range of healthy activities and cater to team sporting needs - to interact, develop and build community cohesion”.

Long-term advocate and former Macedon Ranges basketball administrator Megan Condron said with more and more locals keen to sign up and play sport, the new facilities will allow clubs to grow and provide greater access to competition within the shire.

Condron stated “for us it’s about having a home and giving our juniors a choice, so they don’t have to make decisions based on whether or not their parents are able to drive them out of the region.”

Once complete, the precinct will be capable of hosting competitions on a regional level, which will benefit local businesses and provide positive flow-on effects for tourism and employment across the shire.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council Chief Executive, Bernie O’Sullivan added “the new sports precinct is a big-ticket item for our growing community. We’re very excited about the contract award for Stage 1 and are looking forward to officially celebrating construction commencement with the turning of the first sod. We thank the Victorian Government for their contribution towards Stage 1 and will of course continue with advocacy efforts to ensure we can deliver Stage 2 and see this project through to completion”, he said.

Lloyd Group has a strong background in building high-quality sporting precincts, including stadiums, sporting fields and pavilions.

Stage 1 of the precinct is scheduled for completion in late 2023. Stage 2, which will comprise three additional Sports Hub courts, a function room, additional car parking, a practice oval, outdoor multi-sport courts, additional Sports Pavilion amenities and further landscaping, remains contingent on further funding.

The Victorian Government has supported the project through the following grants, including $11.6 million from Sport and Recreation Victoria and $3.2 million from the Growing Suburbs Fund. Melbourne Water has also contributed $343,263.48 to the project via the Liveable Communities Liveable Waterways program and AFL Victoria has contributed $100,000.

The Macedon Ranges Shire Council provides a further $10.9 million, bringing the total project budget for stage 1 to $26.14 million.

Image: Stakeholders at the sod-turning ceremony for the first stage of the Macedon Ranges Regional Sports Precinct project.

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