Wurdi Baierr Stadium officially opens

THE Surf Coast Shire’s largest infrastructure project to date is officially open.

The $13.5 million Wurdi Baierr Stadium sits between the Civic Centre and Surf Coast Secondary College in Torquay North, and has been welcoming an increasing numbers of sport and recreation groups since its soft launch in mid-January.

Pronounced “word-ee bay-ear”, and named after the Wadawurrung words for “big gathering place”, the stadium comprises four courts (three of which are new), meeting rooms, change facilities, a cafe (which will open in the coming weeks), all abilities design features and extra car parking.

The stadium offers a range of sports and fitness-related activities, including basketball, netball, futsal, badminton, volleyball, exercise classes and kinder gym. It is also used by Surf Coast Secondary College.

Senator Sarah Henderson, South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman, shire mayor Libby Stapleton and Surf Coast Secondary College principal Erin Wright officially opened the stadium on Monday this week.

The stadium was funded by the council ($5.5 million), the federal government through the Building Better Regions Fund ($5 million), and the Victorian Government via the Better Indoor Stadiums Fund ($3 million).

Cr Stapleton said it was fantastic to see that locals had already embraced the new stadium.

“I’m hearing from so many people about the huge positive impact it’s already having, and how much it’s been needed,” she said.

“To have four courts all under the one roof means parents don’t have to drive into Geelong or go between venues when they have multiple kids playing sport.

“It also means we now have a stadium open seven days a week – so more people can connect and get active more often.”

Senator Henderson said Wurdi Baierr Stadium was a welcome addition to the area.

“This investment reflects our government’s determination to build better regions by providing essential sports and community infrastructure.”

Mr Cheeseman said sport was the lifeblood of local communities such as Torquay and Jan Juc.

“This fantastic new Wurdi Baierr Stadium will make a real difference to indoor sport and provide a real boost for the local community,” he said.

Ms Wright said the stadium supported the college and the community to see even more happy young faces engaging in a positive and active manner together.

“We are proud to continue to work in partnership with the Surf Coast Shire to enable not only the young people of our college but also Torquay and the wider Surf Coast to be able to get access to state-of-the-art facilities that promote and encourage them to get involved in community activities at a larger scale,” she said.