Sport shining in Sunraysia
The new Mildura Sporting Precinct is fast developing a reputation as one our state’s most popular and versatile sport and entertainment venues.
Featuring a six-court indoor multi-sport stadium with a show court, two ovals, four indoor squash courts, four outdoor beach volleyball courts, a cricket training facility and 4 netball courts, this state-of-the-art sport and entertainment precinct has become a buzzing hub of activity in Sunraysia.
Week in week out, more than 300 basketball teams, 160 badminton players, over 400 volleyballers, 50 squash players, and hundreds of casual players - from local school kids to seniors - now depend on the indoor stadium for their sporting needs.
Mildura Sport Precinct Manager James Wilson said, ‘Since the stadium opened three years ago numbers have boomed.’
‘There’s been a 32% increase in basketball teams, the Mildura Netball Association has quadrupled in numbers to 108 teams, badminton players numbers have gone up 185%, participation has gone from strength to strength.’
The stadium also hosts a range of regular inclusive sports initiatives from the Mallee Sports Assembly All Abilities Basketball and Netball Programs to the Sunraysia Mallee Ethnic Communities Council’s indoor futsal competition.
The outdoor facilities in the precinct are home to the Sunraysia Football Netball League with the recent grand finals attracting over 8,000 fans this year to watch Imperials just get over the line against Wentworth in the footy, and Ouyen United defeating Wentworth by five goals in the netball.
The Mildura Netball Association staged their popular Spring Carnival at the precinct’s courts this year as well, with more than 500 players from 50 teams competing over the 2 days.
Mildura Netball Association President Alex West said, ‘Having a venue large enough to stage our big events like the Spring Carnival has been a game changer for the local game.’
‘The Precinct provides a great opportunity for our players to showcase their skills on quality courts close to home and take our home-grown programs and competitions from juniors to mixed netball to a whole new level at the one venue,’ she said.
The Precinct also boasts a cricket training facility with 8 wickets, and 4 beach volleyball courts for players of both sports to take their game to the next level.
Together, the precinct can now accommodate even more community sport, along with state and national sports carnivals and major sporting competitions including AFLW, AFL, WBBL, BBL, NBL and WNBL preseason and season fixtures such as the upcoming Bendigo Spirit round 11 clash against the Sydney Flames on 12 January 2025.
And it’s not just sport that benefits, with the precinct home to a range of programs and events from Active Mumma exercise classes and Community Playgroups to the Mallee District Aboriginal Service’s Youth Indigenous Awards.
The Mildura Sporting Precinct was made possible by a $13.75 million investment from the Victorian Government and was delivered by Mildura Rural City Council in collaboration with the Federal Government, Cricket Australia, Cricket Victoria, Australian Football League, Sunraysia Volleyball, and other local sporting groups.
Through programs like the Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund the Victorian Government is also ramping up its investment in regional centres and rural towns across the state, from backing all abilities upgrades at the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre to chipping in for a revamp of ageing tennis courts at the Seymour Tennis Complex.
From playground redevelopments to new sporting hubs, investments like these provide high-quality and accessible places for Victorians to reap the benefits of sport and active recreation.
These projects are all about creating jobs, stimulating local economies, and improving the health, wellbeing, and social outcomes for Victorian communities.
For more information visit the Mildura Sporting Precinct.
