By Laura Michell
A Hume councillor is calling for the council “to finish what it started” at Craigieburn Sport Stadium by revamping the old areas of the centre and improving car parking.
Cr Carly Moore said three new indoor courts were opened at the Craigieburn Road stadium in October and have been well-received by users.
However, the existing elements of the stadium including the three original indoor courts, squash courts, gymnastics hall, multipurpose gymnasium space, childcare room and associated amenities were constructed in 1979 and are dated, she said.
“The addition of the recent extension has highlighted the need to renew these dated facilities and integrate them with the broader open space at the site to create a contemporary, connected, and inviting stadium and precinct that will meet the needs of the existing and future community,” Cr Moore said.
“During my election campaign I joked that the only thing to change since I was a young basketballer playing on these courts, is that girls now play basketball in shorts and not bun-huggers but otherwise pretty much everything else is the same.
“There are issues with the floor, issues with the roof, issues with the canteen. The bathrooms are unlikely to be up to code. There are also issues with how well the older parts are integrated, and it is clearly visible from the road that the building has been built in four stages that are decades apart.”
Cr Moore said parking at the stadium was an ongoing issue, with the car park regularly at capacity during peak times on weeknights and weekends.
She said a master plan for the stadium precinct was developed by council when it funded the extension but it was never adopted by councillors.
“As such there is no clear plan for what should happen next.”
She has called for council to provide temporary additional car parking at the site and to renew the master plan.
In a report to council’s December meeting, council officers said work was underway to create temporary parking on the outdoor basketball court, while $3 million had been allocated over the next two years to redevelop and extend the car park.
Officers said $260,000 had also been allocated in this financial year to renew the master plan, which is expected to be presented to council in late 2025.
