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Published on 03 July 2025
The Victoria Park (Daylesford) soccer field is set to benefit from the Victorian Government’s Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund (the Fund) with $269,780 in funding.
The project will see the installation of new lighting infrastructure to provide 100 Lux level lighting at the soccer field in Victoria Park for the 2026 season.
The project is supported by the Fund and includes contributions from Council and the Daylesford & Hepburn United Soccer Club.
Mayor, Cr Don Henderson, said that the funding will support Council’s commitment to increasing active living in the community.
“In our recently adopted Council Plan 2025–2029, one of the priority areas identified for the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan is increased active living. The lighting upgrade is one example of the ways Council is looking to achieve this,” said Cr Don Henderson.
“We know that 7.1 per cent of our population participate in organised sport and we will likely see this grow as we continue to invest in our sporting infrastructure across the Shire,” said Cr Don Henderson.
The improvements align with Council’s Fair Access Policy and will support the Club’s efforts to increase diversity of participation, particularly among women and girls, by increasing the safety of the facility and increasing the club’s programming opportunities.
Adam Sadler, President of the Daylesford & Hepburn United Soccer Club said that the funding will work hand in hand with its growing participation rates.
“This grant will have an incredible impact on the Club, and we are delighted to have been successful. With the club having doubled in size over the last two years, having proper lighting not only improves safety significantly but also allows us greater flexibility in pitch use times,” said Mr Sadler.
Victoria Park’s soccer lights were highlighted as a priority project following an audit of sports lighting across the Shire in 2022.
The Fund aims to deliver new and upgraded community sports infrastructure across various streams. The Fund also aims to increase and promote opportunities so that Victorians can participate in ways that suit them and is targeted towards individuals and communities who participate less.
Works are expected to commence later this year and will be complemented by future field upgrades supported by funding from the Federal Government.