A community cricket hub will be built in Greenvale as part of a $1.5 million funding injection from the Victorian government.
Hume council will also invest $5.2 million into the new facility which will include the cricket hub which incorporates a six-lane indoor cricket training centre which will be complimented by an adjoining pavilion and additional sports field.
The new hub will provide facilities for all age groups and abilities, all year round, and will provide an additional turf wicket ground for males and females at the one location. Not only will the centre open opportunities for more people to get involved by offering better facilities, it will also allow for the provision of community programs, tournaments, cricket camps and more generally, for the support and development of local junior talent.
The hub will also provide an administrative base for Cricket Victoria’s north-west regional staff. Cricket Victoria have already used the reserve for many tournaments, and the additional oval and pavilion will enable further opportunities for representative level games and tournaments to be played at the site.
Mayor Carly Moore said: “Hume loves cricket and I know that with the development of a high-quality facility like this, the sport will continue to grow, and our cricketers will continue to flourish.
“I am very proud that council is supporting the local sporting community to thrive and I look forward to seeing this wonderful project take shape for the cricket community.”
“Currently, there are not enough purpose-built, publicly accessible cricket and community centres in the north-west region. For example, there are approximately 15 member clubs of the Victorian Turf Cricket Association in the north-west region, which must travel to Derrimut for their closest purpose-built indoor training centre – this is over 24km away from this reserve. This Council-owned indoor training centre will make lane hire more affordable and more accessible to clubs in the region.
“The fourth ground is the ideal size for women to play turf cricket at the highest level. The three women’s teams in the Greenvale Kangaroos Cricket Club have truly thrived over the last two-three years, with their number one team being promoted to shield competition, making them the top women’s team in the outer north-west. Our hope is that this purpose-built facility will encourage more women and girls to participate.”
