Council signals support for hockey pitch renewal as costs rise to $1m

The council had announced $600,000 plans to renew the playing surface in its budget last year but by the time the works went out to tender, the costs had increased.

Chief executive officer Andrew Mason said the council had to increase its contribution to the project.

Hockey president Paul Dillon said it was looking promising that the project was included in the 2023-24 draft budget.

"The cost of a lot of projects have gone up over the last 12 months so it was quite deflating when we couldn't do the pitch renewal," he said.

"It is really promising to see the council has put more money in the new budget. We're grateful.

"We feel bad that they've had to do that but that's a reaction to the inflationary world we're living in at the moment."

Mr Dillon said he hoped that money allocation in the draft budget stayed in the budget when it was finalised.

"It's a really important milestone on our vision to bring the Commonwealth Games to the region because money secures our ability to have the second-highest standard pitch in the world," he said.

That would mean Warrnambool would have a national standard pitch.

"It means that Commonwealth Games nations could train on it. It means they could have practice matches on it," he said.

Mr Dillon said if they could get the pitch renewed this year, it gave them two years to get people excited about what could be brought to the region in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games.

He said once it was done there was no barrier to being able to host elite events.

Mr Dillon said they were keen to work with tourism bodies to see "how big we can make this opportunity for Warrnambool".

"We've got two years to sell the sizzle and get people excited," he said.

The council's corporate services director Peter Utri said the hockey upgrade project was going back out to market.

"That project will hopefully progress into next year," he said.

"The actual amount that has been set for the project is what we expect the market response to be which is close to a million now.

"So it's basically a million-dollar project to do the refurbish."

Mr Utri said the budget included new money and money that was carried forward from last year.

"It's important it gets renewed and we're making sure the project gets done," he said.

South-west philanthropic funds have allocated $190,000 towards the project so far, and the hockey association has chipped in $60,000 of its own money. The council's draft budget has gone out for public comment.

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