Funding revealed for Geelong Sports Package projects

THE sporting communities of the Geelong area have some more detail about their coming infrastructure, with the Victorian government confirming the projects to be built under what it calls the Geelong Sports Package and allocating about a quarter of a billion dollars of funding.

Part of the previously announced legacy package following the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games, the four projects are among 15 across the state funded through the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program.

The quartet of local projects are expected to cost, all together, about $250 million. They are:

• A major upgrade to the Stead Park hockey venue in Corio with a better pitch, new pavilion and spectator seating
• A new hockey pitch at Banyul-Warri Fields in Torquay North as well as lighting, scoreboard and spectator seating
• An indoor sporting complex in Waurn Ponds with six multi-sport courts, a gymnastics facility, dance studio and car parking, and
• An indoor sports centre in Armstrong Creek, featuring a civic plaza, four indoor multi-sport courts and car parking.

The aquatic centre originally proposed to be built in Armstrong Creek through the legacy package now appears to be officially off the table.

Speaking about the Geelong Sports Package at Stead Park today (Tuesday, May 21), Ms Spence said the Armstrong Creek indoor spots centre supported by the Regional Sports Infrastructure Program was a different project to the Armstrong Creek regional-level stadium that received $6 million in the 2024-2025 federal budget.

She said the individual cost of each of the four projects would be “made more solid” over the coming months as plans were developed, and quipped that she would “like to see them built before 2026”; a reference to the state election being held in the same year.

“The first one we’ll see will be  Torquay, there’ll be work starting in Torquay initially, and we’ll keep the community updated with those milestones as we move forward.”

City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan – who has been lobbying the state government to drop the pool in Armstrong Creek and build an indoor stadium there instead – welcomed the investment in his municipality, saying the Geelong community had a “deep, deep passion for sport”.

“As the second-largest city in Victoria, it is crucial that we have infrastructure that facilitates elite-level, intermediate and grassroots competition,” he said.

“Ten new indoor courts for our region is a fantastic boost and will lift capacity greatly for what’s available to all of our residents here.

‘This really completes the offering for what our community needs and what our community deserves.”

Torquay Tornadoes president Andrew Crowley said the confirmation of an extra pitch at Banyul-Warri Fields was “a very emotional day” for him and the club, which began in 2010.

“Along the journey, we’ve worked very hard to grow the club but we’ve had tremendous support from other people.

“We make a commitment that we will grow the game of hockey in the Surf Coast.”

Other attendees at Stead Park today included Corangamite federal member Libby Coker, Geelong MP Christine Couzens, Lara MP Ella George, Surf Coast mayor Liz Pattison and Geelong Hockey Association vice-president Graeme Dent.

South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman, who was previously Labor’s parliamentary secretary for the Commonwealth Games and then parliamentary secretary for community sport, but was forced by Premier Jacinta Allan to resign from the party in April following multiple allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards female staff, was not in attendance.

Ms Spence would not be drawn on whether Mr Cheeseman – who is now an independent MP – should have been invited to today’s event, whether he should stay in Parliament, or if he could claim any credit for the infrastructure in the Geelong Sports Package.

“I think the community should be claiming credit for these results… it’s taken a lot of work over a lot of years to bring these projects to the fore and they’ve been recognised,” she said.