A state-of the art soccer facility will be built in Lalor thanks to a state government grant.
Last week, the government announced that Whittlesea council would receive $2.95 million from its Growing Suburbs Fund to go towards the $6.98 million facility at Mosaic Reserve.
The council will contribute more than $4 million to the project, $1.59 million of which will come from developer contributions.
The project will include a multi-purpose community pavilion and two soccer pitches, as well as car parking, a playground, change rooms, player and referee toilets and public toilets.
There will also be an all-weather viewing verandah, a canteen, multi-purpose community social room and picnic area at the reserve.
Mayor Ricky Kirkham said the project would meet a growing demand for soccer facilities in the municipality.
“The Lalor population is expected to increase by 17.2 per cent by 2035 and the demographic is changing, meaning soccer is growing in popularity and we need to cater for this,” he said.
“While council dedicates a significant amount of money to new projects each year, we rely on partnerships with other levels of government to build what our community needs.
“The Growing Suburbs Fund enables us to build projects we would otherwise not be able to afford.”
Thomastown MP Bronwyn Halfpenny, who visited the reserve last week to announce the funding, said the $50 million Growing Suburbs Fund was helping provide crucial facilities in Melbourne’s fast-growing outer suburbs.
“I am really excited to envisage that there is going to be some great facilities for the community to use,” she said.
Work on the soccer facility is expected to begin late next year and be completed in mid-2020.
The council said it had also applied for funding for a number of other projects, which it hopes will be successful.
