The sod has officially been turned at Drysdale’s new sports facilities.
Local MPs, Geelong councillors and local club representatives gathered last Thursday for the official ceremony marking the opening of stage two works at Drysdale Sport Precinct last week.
The occasion was worthy of acknowledgement; the broader project has been in the works since 2011.
Stage one, which delivered an oval, multipurpose field, cricket practice pitches, a relocatable pavilion and lighting, was completed in 2018, while a revised stage two master plan was officially adopted by the council more than six years ago.
The $14.5 million stage two of the project will deliver a new pavilion, a soccer pitch with LED lighting and players’ shelters and extensive landscaping.
City of Greater Geelong has contributed $6 million, with $5 million from Sport & Recreation Victoria and $3.5 million from the federal government.
Works on the site, which is home to Drysdale Soccer Club and also used by Drysdale’s football and cricket clubs, are scheduled to begin soon.
The soccer club’s Paul Rawson said the new precinct would drive the club forward.
“When I first joined the club in 2009, we had around 35 members; we had no clubrooms, no pitch, and used to roll out some moveable goals on the Shell Road oval to play our games,” he said.
“Today, we have 350 playing members – of which 30 per cent are female – a total of 29 teams, close to 300 junior boys and girls and just over 60 senior players.
“The new facilities will bring fantastic opportunities to continue the growth of our game and the club.”
Murradoc Ward councillor Rowan Story said it was great to see work about to start on the project.
“This project has been long awaited, with three levels of government working together, so it’s exciting to see it progressing,” he said.
“Once completed, this precinct will be a great asset to the community and provide excellent modern facilities.”
State member for Bellarine Alison Marchant said she was “thrilled to see Stage 2 of the Drysdale Sports Precinct underway”.
“This investment will support our growing community with high-quality facilities that encourage participation, strengthen local clubs and promote healthy, active lifestyles across the Bellarine,” she said.
