Pavilion works are on track

A NEW pavilion at John Landy Athletics Field will be welcomed by the many athletes who call the track home, with construction to be complete late next year.

The premier athletics venue at South Geelong has secured joint funding from City of Greater Geelong and Regional Development Victoria.

The new pavilion will replace the existing pavilion and serve as the dedicated home for Geelong Little Athletics, Geelong Athletics, and the Barwon Sports Academy.

Athletes and club administrators will greatly benefit from the cutting-edge facilities, which include dedicated office spaces for the sports organisations, a multipurpose gym space for the Barwon Sports Academy, and a social room with a terrace overlooking the finish line.

This improved infrastructure will offer the perfect environment for athletes to hone their track and field skills, pushing their limits and achieving new personal bests.

Beyond competitive use, the track and pavilion will be a valuable community asset during the off-season. It will host a diverse range of community groups and schools, with social events for athletics carnivals, further cementing Landy Field’s role as a community gathering space.

The project is committed to achieving an “excellent” score for the Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard (BESS) with energy and water usage efficiencies a key consideration of the build.

Accessibility is also a key component of the new pavilion. The proposed floorplan incorporates an accessible facilities including toilets, first floor elevator and a new ramp to the running track, ensuring improved accessibility for all users.

Tenders for the construction of new pavilion have now closed, with evaluations and assessments underway. We anticipate construction of the new pavilion should be complete by the end of 2026.

I’m sure I join many residents who are highly anticipating the commencement of this build.

The field is named after John Landy, who represented Geelong and Australia at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne and sparked the very idea to develop the first athletics facilities here in Geelong.

Landy Field has a rich history of fostering athletic talent and has served as a training ground for some of Geelong’s best athletes who have gone on to achieve remarkable careers.

Notable athletes who have trained at the centre include Olympians like high jumper Joel Baden and race walkers Gabrielle Blythe and Nathan Deakes, Paralympian sprinter Richard Colman, and AFLW player Georgia Clarke. And of course, home grown talent like Lee Troop, who’s Troop Loop running track along the Barwon River starts just next to Landy Field.

The new pavilion will support our next generation of athletes and will build upon the recent upgrades to the Landy Field track, which underwent renewal last year.

The track upgrades retained its World Athletics Class 2 accreditation – one of 45 tracks in Australia to hold this status.

The $1.5 million renewal project delivered by City of Greater Geelong saw 57 tonnes of recycled rubber sourced from used truck tyres installed underneath the track surface.

The renewal also relocated the hammer and discus cage to allow for more competition events to be carried out simultaneously, in line with World Athletics standards.

These combined upgrades and renewals at Landy Field will ensure Geelong is recognised as the premier regional athletics centre in Australia, and a must-visit destination for athletes and spectators alike.

I look forward to the new pavilion serving Geelong’s future athletes for generations to come.

Cr Melissa Cadwell

Cheetham Ward, City of Greater Geelong