By Cr Trent Sullivan
It was wonderful to see the Melbourne Renegades in action at Kardinia Park in the BBL recently.
While the Geelong Cats occupy the stadium and the hearts of many in our region during winter, seeing this venue used for other purposes is always nice, as it shows its clear versatility.
The work on the northern end of the stadium is progressing well and soon we will have the premier regional venue in the country at full capacity once again.
In the meantime, Council is keen to hear from residents about their thoughts on what can be done to make the entire Kardinia Park precinct even better.
We are in the process of developing a masterplan for this important space and want to hear from you.
Some people might be surprised to learn that Kardinia Park spans more than 22 hectares, which is a very big space.
The City manages 65 per cent of the this, including the open space, community sports fields, aquatic centre, and the senior citizens building.
The Kardinia Park Stadium Trust manages the other 35 per cent including the Kardinia Park Stadium and plaza areas and the new northern plaza, as well as some of the cricket facilities currently under construction.
The stadium attracts more than 400,000 people annually and will soon have capacity for 40,000 spectators.
But it is important that people understand while the stadium and new development are not part of the masterplan process, the surrounding areas are a key consideration, and the masterplan will look at how the stadium developments influence the use of the rest of the park.
The park’s assets will be assessed to ensure they remain relevant and fit for purpose moving forward.
Many people use Kardinia Park to park and walk into the city for work, and as it stands there is capacity for nearly 1300 car parks across the formal and informal parking areas.
This will be a key consideration in the development of the draft master plan, and once this has been developed, user groups and key stakeholders – as well as the wider community – will once again be invited to provide feedback before the final masterplan is considered by Council.
It is so important for us to gather feedback from the community and our stakeholders if we are to truly solidify Kardinia Park’s status as Geelong’s premier sport and recreation destination.
The survey asks questions such as what things you love about the precinct, what are the main activities you are involved in when you are there, other things you might like to see added to the area, as well as any general ideas residents might have to enhance the park overall.
This master plan will ultimately set the vision and direction of the park for the next 10 to 20 years, which means we have a unique opportunity to meet the current and future needs of the community, sporting groups and spectators.
For those interested in providing feedback and ideas to help with the draft Master Plan, please visit yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/KPMP to find out how you can get involved.
