2 July
Kym West
Basketball in Melbourne’s booming northern suburbs is set for a major lift. Construction is now underway on the Mernda Regional Sports Precinct, bolstered by a $11.5 million investment from the Federal Government.
The City of Whittlesea will receive $10 million through the Thriving Suburbs Program to deliver a state-of-the-art indoor stadium and an additional $1.5 million from the Play Our Way Program to fund outdoor court infrastructure.
The stadium will include four multi-purpose courts, designed for both basketball and netball, alongside changerooms, accessible amenities, a reception area, kiosk, pavilion, and car parking.
At a special event marking the milestone on Thursday 26 June, City of Whittlesea leaders were joined by Federal Member for McEwen, Rob Mitchell, local basketball and netball administrators, and junior players from the Northern Pride Netball Association.
Basketball Victoria’s General Manager of Government, Strategy and Innovation Jake Keogh said the precinct was a “massive win” for basketball in the north.
“Basketball is exploding in popularity, across every background and community, but the lack of court space is pushing families onto long waiting lists,” said Keogh. “If we don’t build facilities like this now, kids will simply miss out on playing the sport they love.”
The second stage of the $42.14 million precinct follows extensive groundwork on the Plenty Road site and is expected to go to construction tender later this year (2025). The Victorian Government has also committed $20 million to the project - $10 million toward the stadium and $10 million for surrounding transport infrastructure.
The new courts will directly address the growing gap between demand and access in the area. Currently, many local families are forced to travel well outside the municipality just to find court time - a major barrier for participation.
City of Whittlesea Mayor, Councillor Martin Taylor said the project was about creating opportunity and inclusion - “This is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about giving every young person in our community, especially girls and those facing transport barriers, a chance to get on court and stay active.”
With participation soaring and infrastructure finally catching up, the Mernda Regional Sports Precinct promises to be a vital hub for basketball development, grassroots access, and community connection for generations to come.
For more information about the impact of the planned development click below
