The Mildura Sporting Precinct (formerly known as the Mildura South Regional Sporting Precinct) was officially opened on Friday, 10 December 2021.
The opening now sees Stage One facilities operational, including a six-court indoor stadium with multi-purpose rooms, function spaces and café. Next to the new indoor centre is a regional standard outdoor playing field with change facilities and lighting to host major events.
The Stage One project total budget was $32.908M with $17.5M funding from the Federal Government and $3M from the Victorian State Government.
Otium Planning Group (OPG) congratulates Mildura Rural City Council on the opening of the new Regional Sports and Events Precinct. We are proud of our association with the project as far back as 2007 when our team members completed an Indoor Sports Stadium Strategy and recommended the development of the now sports precinct. Further studies in 2010 and 2017 helped scope facilities, complete business planning and support government funding applications.
Stage One facilities will provide a central home for several indoor and outdoor sporting user groups in the district. OPG modelling indicated these groups would generate the equivalent of an estimated 200,000 venue visitations each year.
The OPG Business Case for this facility shows it will provide a venue for major events, including concerts and regional and national sporting events, making the economic case for this project very strong. It will also accommodate the need for community open space and passive leisure activities in the Mildura South area – one of the region’s main residential growth corridors.
Michael King, Senior Associate at OPG, noted, “This project is one of a number of major sports and recreation facilities the company has assisted Council with over the past 20 years. Past projects include the Alfred Deakin Centre (now attracting over 400,000 visits/year) and a range of outdoor facilities at the Mildura Recreation Reserve and Old Aerodrome Sporting Complex.
It is particularly pleasing to see a future planning strategy initially adopted by Council in 2007 guiding such great high use future facilities.”
It was announced at the opening that $10M in Victorian State Government funding had also been secured for Stage Two works, which will include indoor squash courts, outdoor playing field number 2 and outdoor netball courts.
Further information about the precinct is available on Council’s website at https://www.mildura.vic.gov.au/Latest-News/Mildura-Sporting-Precinct-official-opening