Women and girls in Melbourne’s north will have more opportunities to get involved in community sport, with modern, accessible and female-friendly facilities on the way for the Deep Rock Sporting Precinct.  

The Deep Rock Sporting Precinct is located in Yarra Bend Park, on Wurundjeri Country in Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs. It includes the Sir Herbert Olney Oval, the Deep Rock Pavilion and surrounding sporting fields. The precinct is currently used by local cricket and football clubs, and the site’s public toilets are accessible to people visiting Yarra Bend Park. However, the existing facilities within the Deep Rock Pavilion are limited, and don’t provide all-abilities access or separate toilets and changerooms for female players.

Planning is now underway to scope upgrades to the pavilion, with plans to deliver more inclusive facilities, including modern, accessible, and female-friendly toilets and change rooms.   
The Victorian Government has invested $1 million to deliver the upgrades, as part of the Better Parks and Playgrounds Program, which aims to provide better access to green open space for Victorians to exercise, relax and enjoy the outdoors. 

Parks Victoria recently reached out to 21 sporting clubs, who are current users of the pavilion or may use the pavilion in the future, to find out how they use the facilities and what they’d like to see improved as part of the project. We heard that users were keen to see separate female toilets, showers and facilities, and better lighting for improved safety.

This feedback will be considered in the development of the draft designs, along with other statutory approvals and permits including cultural heritage, non-aboriginal heritage and environmental assessments.

Nearby in Yarra Bend Park, Corben Oval is also undergoing important works to restore the site’s power supply and make improvements to the pavilion. These works will enable sporting clubs and visitors to use the facilities again, following closures in 2019 due to a significant fault in the electrical power supply line.

Further improvements to sport and recreation facilities are being delivered across the Parks Victoria estate, including new and upgraded netball and cricket facilities in Olinda as part of the $7.6 million Olinda Precinct Stage 1 Project, a $5.5 million project to build a new shared-use pavilion at Oval One in Albert Park, and a $9.9 million investment to deliver two sports fields, a small pavilion and shared-use trails at Jells Park.

Find out more about the Deep Rock Pavilion upgrades and read the engagement summary report at the project page on the Parks Victoria website.  

Quotes attributable to Philip Ross, District Manager North East Melbourne, Parks Victoria 

“We’re thrilled to be bringing more of our sporting facilities up to today’s standards, to make sure they’re accessible for more people.” 

“We know that community sport encourages people to get active and also helps facilitate social connections, which is great for the health and wellbeing of Victorians.” 

“These upgrades will mean local sporting clubs will have access to modern and accessible facilities, and will hopefully encourage more women and girls to get involved in community sport.”

The Deep Rock Pavilion in Yarra Bend Park will be upgraded thanks to $1 million from the Victorian Government. Credit: Parks Victoria