Plans for a long-awaited $12.4 million sports facility on the corner of Barringo and Hamilton roads in New Gisborne have been released.
A synthetic sports oval, a grass oval and a pavilion are proposed in Macedon Ranges council’s New Gisborne Regional Sports Field Feasibility Study.
The $6.5 million synthetic oval is planned to be constructed first, and would be able to be used as the other works take place.
New Gisborne Regional Sports Fields project committee vice-chair Helen Sankey said the group was “absolutely happy” with the proposed plan.
“If we were to get what is included in the plan it would be ideal,” Ms Sankey said.
“Now we just have to get funding.”
The council has set aside $2.8 million for the 2019-22 project, of which $800,000 was used to buy the land.
Ms Sankey said she would be lobbying state politicians to ensure the project received funding following the state election. Earlier this month the project committee presented plans to the shadow cabinet. This week Ms Sankey will be meeting with Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas.
Ms Sankey said the committee was aiming to get as much of the community support behind the project as possible to make sure it became a reality.
She said clubs had been forced to knock kids back at Auskick level because the present two grounds – Gardiner Reserve and Sankey Reserve – had been at maximum capacity for too long.
New sports fields in Gisborne have been on the table since the council’s 2006 Leisure Strategy Plan recommended the need to investigate new ovals as a high priority.
The council bought the New Gisborne site, across the road from the recently completed Macedon Ranges Netball Complex, in 2015.
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