A $5.7 million sports reserve at Williams Landing has been given the green light.
Work will start in months on the Williams Landing Boulevard Reserve – bounded by Williams Landing Boulevard, Palmers and Freya roads and Chessington Drive – and will include two full-size ovals, six tennis courts, two of which will also be suitable for netball; and a playground.
The second oval will also have a flexible layout, allowing for multiple sports. The project has been funded in the draft 2016-17 Wyndham council budget, which is now out for consultation.
The council will foot $4.2 million of the total project cost, the rest to be funded through developer contributions.
Wyndham council corporate services director Steven Lambert said construction of the reserve would start in the 2016-17 financial year and was expected to be completed by June, 2017.
Mr Lambert said the council had also allocated $200,000 for the design of a pavilion to be funded and built after the main section of the reserve is completed.
“Construction of the pavilion is still pending the normal budget process, but it’s anticipated it will be completed in the 2017-18 financial year,” Mr Lambert said.
“Council is designing the facility in such a way that it will be able to accommodate a variety of different activities and provide a space suitable for a growing community,” he said.
“The council will be working with the local community to develop a presence of sporting clubs at the reserve. We have assisted communities in the past to establish sporting interests through the Sports Development Framework.”
Excited
Ian MacGowan, of the Williams Landing Estate Residents Association, said residents were excited by the investment.
“It’s been on the cards for a long time and it’s great to see there’s finally action and progress,” he said.
“One of the really exciting things about the space is that it’s designed to be very flexible in terms of AFL, cricket, tennis courts – it can be a real community hub for locals.”
