Home ground advantage: investing in the future of grassroots sport As a result of funding from the Australian Government, Victorian Government and Council, several significant projects have been recently completed or are under construction. For more updates or photos on these and other developments, visit the project pages on Council’s website.
$4.5m HE Parker sporting pavilion unveiled In April 2021, we marked the exciting completion of the new $4.5 million HE Parker sporting pavilion.
The new pavilion will support the anticipated growth of both the Heathmont Football and Cricket clubs, particularly with the increase of female junior and senior teams for football, and the introduction of a female cricket season. The facility is also home to Sport and Life Training (SALT) and will be utilised by the wider community. The pavilion complements the recently renovated lighting and sportsfield upgrade, creating a first-class cricket and football facility in the heart of Heathmont.
The new-look HE Parker sporting pavilion.
In a first at Maroondah, Council used an off-site pre-fabricated construction method for the sporting pavilion, which allowed building works to be completed in a shorter timeframe and with minimal disruption to clubs. The double-storey facility in HE Parker Reserve replaces the former 1960s clubrooms with a facility that now incorporates four female-friendly change rooms, a large multipurpose room and amenities, ensuring inclusiveness and all-abilities access.
The project was funded by $4 million from Council and $500,000 by the Australian Government, with the Victorian Government contributing $75,000 towards the fit-out.
$8m Dorset Recreational Reserve sports hub Works are underway on a new pavilion at Dorset Recreation Reserve as part of a multi-million-dollar enhancement of the reserve. The new multipurpose community and sports hub will be home to Croydon City Soccer Club and Maroondah’s Burmese/ Myanmar community. The facility is being funded by Council with $2 million from the Australian Government and $2 million from the Victorian Government.
A major enhancement of Dorset Recreation Reserve will ensure the sporting precinct meets the future needs of our community.
These works form part of the enhancement plan for the reserve, which also includes upgrades to the open space and accessibility within the precinct with improved lighting, signage and carparking. The works from Stage 1 of the enhancement plan will include a multipurpose pavilion, two new soccer pitches (one synthetic) with lighting, and warm-up pitch/volley ball courts. Further enhancements to sporting facilities, lighting and pedestrian connectivity will be considered for implementation in future stages of the project.
Maroondah moves to sustainable energy As a member of the Victorian Energy Collaboration, Council has joined forces to form the largest emissions reduction project ever undertaken by the local government sector in Australia. As part of this initiative 46 Victorian Councils have combined their electricity needs into one long-term contract for renewable energy generated from wind farms here in Victoria. The VECO project doesn’t just benefit the environment – by joining together for the energy contract, each Council will be paying less for their power than if each Council had sourced their electricity individually.
Fast Fact 16 | Maroondah news
This is just one of the many ways that Council is working to reduce our carbon emissions. In 2020 Maroondah City Council was certified Carbon Neutral by Climate Active for our operations as a public statutory body. One of the ways we’re achieving this is through environmentally sustainable design, including installing solar panels on some of our major facilities including Realm and Aquanation.
We are also upgrading our facilities with LED lighting and continuing our streetlight changeover rollout which has seen more than 6000 globes across Maroondah changed to more energy-efficient options. To find out more about our sustainability initiatives visit our website.
By using renewable energy we’ll be saving 260,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere – the same as taking 90,000 cars off the road.
