By NATALIE GALLENTI
MELTON Hockey Club shoots and scores.
One of the areas longest-standing of Melton’s long-standing sporting clubs may finally have a place to call their own after the council agreed to support the construction of a synthetic hockey field within the Toolern precinct.
After the closure of Mowbray College in July this year, the Melton Hockey Club was left without a home.
The club had been a tenant of the former college since 1982.
A $20,000 feasibility study undertaken by the council in conjunction with Hockey Victoria, Sport and Recreation Victoria and the broader City of Melton community, revealed the nearest hockey facilities are located in Essendon, Footscray and Werribee, all a minimum 35km away from the Melton township.
The study recommended the installation of a hockey field within the municipality and identified Bridge Road Reserve in the Toolern Regional Park as the preferred option due to its flat surface, flood-free land and central location.
The report, tabled at last week’s council meeting, estimated the construction of a hockey facility would be in the vicinity of $1.4 million and would include a pavilion, requiring further budget allocation.
Maintenance of a synthetic hockey field is estimated to cost $14,600 a year with the estimated lifespan of the artificial pitch 12 years.
The replacement cost would be in the vicinity of $250,000.
