Three Gippsland businesses have begun work on the new $3.66 million hockey field and pavilion in Sale.
Work on the three components of the project – the synthetic playing field and players shelters, the pavilion and the car park – all began over the past two months at the Cobains Road site.
With the Federal Government providing $600,000 towards the project, the Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester stopped by to see the progress made so far.
“I’m pleased three Gippsland businesses were successful with their bids to be part of the construction of a new landmark sporting facility for our region,” Mr Chester said.
“The complex will provide state-of-the-art facilities for hockey players and other sports for training and matches. Importantly, it will attract more regional sporting events to Gippsland and draw more people into our towns.”
Drouin-based A1 Civil won the contract to construct the playing field and player shelters. Sale’s RAL Constructions will build the hockey pavilion. Clint Kelly Excavations from Montgomery will make the carpark and access road.
Wellington Shire Council is managing the project, known as the Gippsland Regional Sports Complex stage 2A: subregional multipurpose synthetic field. Mayor Carolyn Crossley said the field could be used by different sporting groups at the same time.
“We are building a high quality sporting facility that will be able to be used for hockey, soccer and touch football matches, as well as other sporting activities,” Cr Crossley said.
“It will be a flexible, modern, high quality sporting facility that will cater for a wide range of needs. There’ll be a meeting room, kiosk and social space in the pavilion. It will serve Wellington and the wider Gippsland community well for years to come.”
The project is jointly funded by the Federal Government ($600,000), the Victorian Government ($650,000), Wellington Shire Council ($1.3 million), the John Leslie Foundation ($1,000,000), and East Gippsland Hockey Association ($50,000).
For more information, visit www.wellington.vic.gov.au.
