State Basketball Centre takes shape

The Victorian Government is delivering another cutting-edge sporting facility, supporting communities and budding sporting champions with the next phase of the State Basketball Centre now underway. 

Work on the $132 million upgrade of the centre is scheduled for completion in late 2023.

Construction of the steel skeleton is now being installed using 1250 tonnes of structural steel - manufactured in Victoria.

The project will deliver new high-performance training and administration facilities for basketball, including WNBL and NBL teams, along with 12 new indoor community courts for local basketball competitions - bringing the total number of courts to 18.

Local organisations and clubs will be further supported with new administration facilities to support a broad range of sports, while a new gymnastics centre is being built to reflect the sport’s continued growth in the region.

New food and beverage venues along with a town square will add a communal meeting space for locals and visitors alike, while transport upgrades for the broader precinct will improve accessibility for the Knox Regional Sports Park.

Construction hoarding around the site has been transformed into storytelling of the land on which the State Basketball Centre is being built.

Proud Palawa woman and artist of the Mullum Mullum community Amanda Wright worked with the Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place youth group and local young people to create an eye-catching mural featuring Bunjil the eagle – the creator of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations, the land and all living things – plus other elements that showcase features of the local area.

The project is also a boost for local industry and employment, supporting more than 500 jobs during construction and creating more than 100 new jobs once the centre is operational.

Through the Victorian Government’s Local Jobs First policy and Major Projects Skills Guarantee, small and medium sized businesses in Victoria are given more opportunities to compete for both large and small government contracts – helping create more local jobs, including for apprentices, trainees and cadets.

This project is being built with a minimum of 90 per cent local materials, with 10 per cent of total estimated work hours being delivered by apprentices, trainees and cadets.

Development Victoria is delivering the State Basketball Centre project on behalf of Sport and Recreation Victoria and the City of Knox.