Key details
Location
10 Brens Drive, Parkville
Policy objective
Women in sport
Client
Sport and Recreation Victoria
Project partners
The State Sports Centre Trust
Netball Victoria
Hockey Victoria
Overview
Now known as Melbourne Sports Centres – Parkville Stadium, the $64.6 million State Netball and Hockey Centre (SNHC) redevelopment is the centrepiece of the Victorian Government’s record investment in women’s sport.
From grassroots to elite, the upgrade will make Parkville the home for netball and hockey in Australia.
We have delivered six new indoor netball courts, a new indoor hockey pitch, hot and cold recovery pools, a creche for parents playing at the centre, and a high-performance strength and conditioning gym.
The netball arm of the centre now has 11 indoor courts – creating greater capacity for year-round play. The new indoor hockey court similarly provides more opportunities and pathways for players.
With Netball Victoria, Super Netball’s Melbourne Vixens, Hockey Victoria and dozens of grassroots hockey and netball teams based at the centre, the new facilities will open up the venue for more community participation, high- performance excellence, competitions and major events.
The works have also created a new northern entrance, better connecting the centre to public transport.
The expanded centre will also allow for more use by volleyball, basketball, futsal, badminton and table tennis players and will be home to the Women in Sport Leadership Centre.
500,000 visitors a year
12,850 additional square metres
$64.6M invested in women's sport
The new Melbourne Sports Centres – Parkville Stadium
Building Opportunities for Women in Construction
More than 150 jobs were created during construction and the Victorian Government encouraged contractor Kane Constructions to maximise the female presence on the project. These efforts included a pilot program to encourage women and girls to consider a career in construction while half of Kane Constructions’ and Development Victoria’s project teams were female.
At the peak of construction, some 26,000 hours were worked by women, equal to 30 per cent of all contributing hours worked during that time. In total, 73 women worked on the redevelopment site in trade and support roles.
You can’t be what you can’t see, so the women in construction working on the Victorian Government’s $64.6M State Netball and Hockey Centre Redevelopment developed a program to encourage women to find their pathway in the construction industry.
Led by Development Victoria and Kane Constructions, this program aims to promote the challenging and exciting roles within the sector for women.
The first online information session, held on 16 July 2020, was aimed at girls and young women considering a career in construction. It featured six women talking about their own pathway into construction, sharing their experiences and answering questions. Watch the recording on Youtube.
Redeveloping the State Netball and Hockey Centre - February 2019
Outcomes
- Six new indoor netball courts to replace the current four outdoor courts, bringing the total number of usable netball courts to 11
- An indoor hockey facility
- A high-performance strength and conditioning gym
- Women in Sport Leadership Centre
- Sports House 2 — modeled on Sports House at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, providing a home for Netball Victoria and Hockey Victoria
- Upgrades to amenity and infrastructure including: a new front entrance, improved circulation and improved access to public transport
Approach
The Victorian Government has appointed contractor Kane Constructions to deliver the project and unveiled the initial designs for the centre in 2018.
Kane Constructions is a Victorian builder and industry leader, with a solid track record in the delivery of elite and community sporting venues across Australia, including Stage 4 of Kardinia Park in Geelong.
Women in Construction
Under a pilot program led by Kane Construction, a call will be made to Victorian women and girls, including the thousands who play at the State Netball and Hockey Centre at Royal Park each week, to consider a career in construction.
Women account for just 17% of construction jobs, and less than six per cent of technical and trade roles.
The program will incorporate information sessions on pathways to a career in construction, highlight role models for young women in the industry, and develop strategies to break down barriers.
Location
The State Netball Hockey Centre is located on Brens Drive in Parkville, next to the Royal Melbourne Zoo. It's just three kilometres from the CBD and easily accessible via Citylink.
Who to contact about this project
To register your interest in the program’s information sessions please email us at SNHC-project@development.vic.gov.au
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Women and girls in sport
In December 2015, the Victorian Government released a report from the 'Inquiry into Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation'.
The report looks at gender inequality in Victorian sport and recreation, and outlined nine recommendations to increase leadership and participation by women and girls:
- Drive commitment through an Ambassadors of Change program
- Engage and empower by connecting Ambassadors to women and girls
- Mandate gender balance and good governance principles
- Reform recruitment practices and processes for leadership positions
- Enhance participation choice and improve how opportunities are marketed
- Deliver female-friendly built environments and equitable facility usage policies
- Build an enabling environment through education and training
- Showcase the pathways and opportunities through role models
- Increase the profile of women in sports media
The Victorian Government has started working to implement all nine recommendations
This strategy also considers Sport and Recreation Victoria’s five objectives for state facilities:
- Building and maintaining Victoria’s capacity to attract and retain major and significant events
- Supporting state level and professional sporting teams competing in national and international competitions
- Supporting athlete development by delivering quality high performance coaching, training, sport science and recovery facilities for state and national level athletes
- Providing access to appropriate facilities that support the state-wide administration of sport, including coaching development
- Providing facilities that support participation in sport and recreation
Updated on 26 May 2023