Work underway on regional sports precinct
Published on 01 May 2026
Work is now underway on the next stage of the regional sports precinct in Mernda, marking an important step in meeting the growing demand for accessible, high-quality sporting facilities across the City of Whittlesea.
Stage 2 of the project will deliver a modern indoor stadium featuring four multipurpose courts, alongside outdoor netball courts equipped with lighting. These facilities are designed to support a wide range of community sports and activities, creating more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, particularly women and girls to participate.
The development will also include essential supporting infrastructure such as changerooms, a reception area, kiosk, outdoor pavilion, car parking, footpaths and landscaped open spaces, ensuring a welcoming and functional environment for players, families and visitors.
Stage 2 builds on significant early works already completed in Stage 1 to prepare the site, including rock removal, land levelling, construction of retaining walls and the creation of a wetland to enhance the local environment and manage water on the site.
Stage 3 of the project includes aquatic and leisure facilities and the initial concept design work for this stage has been completed.
A mix of funding sources is vital to deliver a project of this magnitude. The overall business case identified a required budget of $180 million. The endorsed financial modelling is based on $80 million of funding contributions from other levels of government to support Council’s investment.
To date, Council has secured $21.5 million through its strong advocacy program. This includes $11.5 million and $10 million from the Australian Government and Victorian Government respectively towards the indoor stadium and outdoor courts.
The Victorian Government has committed a further $10 million towards the delivery of the aquatic component of the project.
Council also secured a $10 million grant from the Victorian Government’s Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution program, which was allocated to building transport infrastructure in support of the regional sports precinct.
In total, Council has received $31.5 million in state and federal government co-contributions, with a promise of a further $10 million. This leaves a shortfall of $38.5 million from the required $80 million of co-contributions required in the initial business case.
Given the substantial financial investment required to deliver this project, and its considerable impact on Council’s overall financial position, it has been structured for staged delivery, to be implemented progressively as funding becomes available.
A report seeking Council consideration of funding for the leisure and aquatic component of the project is scheduled to be presented before the end of the financial year.
Quotes attributable to City of Whittlesea Mayor Lawrie Cox:
“People across our community have been telling us they’d love to see more aquatic facilities, whether that’s a new pool in Mernda, something in Wollert, or upgrades to the existing pool in Whittlesea. We hear that clearly, and we understand how important these spaces are.
“At the same time, aquatic centres are major investments. While we’d love to deliver everything at once, we need to balance these ideas with what we can realistically afford.
“Our city is growing quickly, and with that comes increasing demand for pools and leisure facilities. We also have a responsibility to maintain and improve the centres we already have in Thomastown, Mill Park and Whittlesea.
“When we look at projects like the Mernda regional sports precinct, we take a big-picture approach, thinking about what the community needs now and into the future, and making sure we plan carefully, and our approach is fiscally responsible.
“This project is Council’s single biggest investment in a recreational facility in our history and we have had to take a staged approach to delivery to make it financially viable. Rising construction costs and the ongoing State Government rate cap have made it even more challenging to fully fund projects like this - that’s why our partnership approach with other levels of government is so important. This is not something we can deliver on our own. We have been clear and consistent from the outset - delivering this project in full will require substantial funding contributions from other levels of government.
“Council will soon consider the next stage of this project, and as always, our focus will be on making responsible decisions that delivers what matters most to our community.”