$30 million backing for indoor sport arenas in Victoria

New indoor sports stadiums will be built across suburban Melbourne and regional Victoria, and others will be upgraded, as part of a new $30 million funding package from the Victorian Government.

Announcing the funding, Victorian Minister for Sport John Eren stated "indoor stadiums are at the heart of our suburbs and towns, with nearly 450,000 Victorians participating in sports like netball or basketball every week.

"They are a hive of activity at weekends as budding juniors take to the court with pride, and all through the week as Victorians of all ages and abilities keep fit and connect with friends in social competitions.

"But demand for courts is outstripping supply, which means midweek competitions are being forced to run deep into the evening, or players are being turned away from participating in the games they love."

As a result, the 2016/17 Victorian Budget includes:

• $22 million for the Better Indoor Stadiums Fund to build and upgrade multi-use stadiums, meaning more basketball, netball and volleyball players will be able to take to the court where they want. 
• $8 million to continue the popular Country Football Netball Program, which will help regional clubs build new facilities, install lights and complete ground or court resurfacing.

Minister Eren added "there’s not enough court space in Victoria for the record numbers playing basketball and netball, but we’re changing that."