Camp Reserve upgrade

In September 2020, Council endorsed the Camp Reserve Master Plan, and a staged approach to the delivery of the master plan's key recommendations.

The first stage of improvements includes the following:  

• Construction of a new single sports pavilion that will include additional change rooms, a new social room and community space, a match day kiosk, umpires all gender change rooms, and public toilets. This building will be located on the western side of the oval and will replace the three existing pavilions at the north of the site
• The relocation and development of two new netball/multipurpose courts towards the south of the reserve (adjacent to Forest Street)
• Improved car parking, pathways, access roads and landscaping surrounding the new development zones.

Both the new pavilion and netball courts will provide modern facilities that are fit-for-purpose and meet the needs of sporting clubs and community members, now and into the future.

Highlights in stage 1 of the improvement works include: 

• All-abilities and all-gender change rooms which will encourage more people of all abilities to participate in local sports
• Pavilion upgrades will allow the Castlemaine & District Agricultural Society to expand on annual show offerings, potentially incorporating elements such as food and wine judging
• The location of the proposed community pavilion improves connections along Gingell Street, provides a better vantage point to watch games on the oval, and moves the pavilion outside of the flood risk area
• Upgraded netball facilities will increase participation opportunities and allow for Castlemaine to host finals events, encouraging increased visitors to the town and flow on economic benefits
• Feedback from the community, local sporting groups, and event organisers has informed the proposed improvements
• The draft designs consider current and future recreation needs, passive community spaces and event requirements

At the Council Meeting in February, Councillors resolved to support designs to develop a new pavilion and netball/multipurpose courts at Camp Reserve.

Designs approved by Councillors at the meeting include:

• Construction of a new single sports pavilion that will include additional change rooms, new social room and community space, match day kiosk, umpires change rooms and public toilets. This building will replace the three existing pavilions at the north of the site

• Development of two new netball/multipurpose courts towards the south of the reserve (adjacent to Forest Street)

• Improved car parking, pathways, access roads and landscaping surrounding the new development zones

Council is currently preparing a planning permit to implement the designs.

As part of the process of preparing the planning permit, Council has:

• engaged an independent planning consultant (Taylors Development Strategists)

• appointed a project manager (Kestral Projects).

Technical investigations to support the planning permit application are also underway. These will include assessments of acoustics, arboriculture, flood and bushfire risk, heritage and cultural heritage, geotechnical and feature surveys and traffic management.

What’s next?

Information from the technical investigations will be used to inform and support the planning permit application over the coming months.

Local residents to Camp Reserve may notice some activity on site while these investigations are underway. No external upgrade works are planned for Camp Reserve ahead of the planning permit assessment.

Following feedback from user groups and community members on the need to support female sporting participation at the reserve, Council has allocated funding in its 2023/24 budget to improvement the reserve’s female change facility.

This will involve re-modelling and improving the existing football male change facilities to enable them to be used by all genders. Modifications will include the removal of the urinals and open showers to provide private change, shower and toilet cubicles.

Works started in October and will take approximately 3-4 months.

These works are funded by the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCI) and Council. The LRCI Program supports local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across the nation, supporting jobs and delivering benefits to local communities.