By Tyler Wright
A sod-turning event attended by local representatives and government officials on Tuesday 4 April at the Olinda Recreation Reserve marked the beginning of work on the site.
A new netball court and four cricket nets are set to be built by the end of 2023 in a partnership between Parks Victoria and Yarra Ranges Council and a $7.67 million investment from the state government.
Hilltop Recreation Association (HRA) president Ben Selby-Hele said the new court will help meet rising demands in sporting facilities for locals, with the Olinda Ferny Creek Football and Netball Club and the Olinda Cricket Club using the reserve’s facilities.
“At the moment, our netballers travel off the mountain to train. Now [senior women] can come and partake and the synergy in the club will be a lot more wholesome,” Mr Selby-Hele said.
“It’s been a six year project. At about the halfway mark, we went to VCAT because we were requesting tree removal, but through the democratic process we had to make environmental compromises.”
Mr Selby-Hele said it is people like Olinda Cricket Club president Dave Ardley that helped push for the additional facilities.
“It is absolutely going to be a fantastic facility,” he said.
“We’re a really diverse club and a project like this is going to help solidify us within the community.”
Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino said over 500 sporting club members use the reserve, with football participation for both girls and boys growing and larger teams using the reserve.
“The new facilities will ensure clubs like Olinda Ferny Creek can continue to be the heart of the community,” Ms De Martino said.
Parks Victoria’s Melbourne regional director, Sofia De Lesantis, said the construction of the netball and cricket facilities is the first stage of the Olinda green development.
Stage two is now in the works, with proposed enhancements for the reserve’s car park, providing picnicking shelters and a dog walking area.
“In the future, we’re hoping to get further enhancements of the traffic and the parking, enhancing the amenity of the area and providing facilities for visitors,” Ms De Lesantis said.
Minister for Community Sport, Ros Spence, said the new netball courts and cricket training facility will provide more reason for locals to “come and join in the fun”.
“Better facilities mean more participation, and greater opportunities for Victorians to experience everything community sport has to offer,” Ms Spence said.
