Wednesday, 23 September 2026


Constituency questions

Northern Victoria Region


Georgie PURCELL

Northern Victoria Region

 Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (12:53): (2652) My question is for the Minister for Community Sport. Established in 2024 the Woodend Eagles Soccer Club has rapidly become a thriving and inclusive regional club, supporting over 200 kids. The club has reached capacity at its shared football and cricket oval and is now turning away children. Without access to a safe full-sized pitch, current players will also be forced to leave next season. Neighbouring clubs are also at capacity. Meanwhile, the historic 50-acre Woodend Racecourse Reserve, which hosted its last horse race in 1982, remains largely derelict, with regeneration plans years away; that is also years of children being turned away. The Eagles have a community-driven proposal to raise the funds and transform abandoned sand arenas into a sporting pitch, meeting all relevant standards. Will the minister work with the council to streamline approvals, enabling this first chapter to start, turning an underused piece of Crown land into a facility for my community?