Heatherdale Pavilion $2m rebuild promise if Liberals win federal election

Women have been put on the agenda with a $2 million federal election cash commitment made for Heatherdale Pavilion.

Players celebrate Michael Sukkar’s pledge.

The first cash commitment has been made to help bring Heatherdale Pavilion out of “yesteryear” and enable it to adequately cater for women.

The pavilion’s redevelopment will get a $2 million injection from the Federal Government if the Liberals are re-elected, Deakin federal Liberal MP Michael Sukkar has promised.

The MP joined members of the Heatherdale Cricket Club, Heathmont Jets Junior Football Club and Mitcham Eagles Junior Football Club at their home ground to make the pledge.

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“The new pavilion will provide much-needed changerooms to accommodate the growing girls competition, including the cricket club’s first senior women’s team in 2019/2020,” Mr Sukkar said.

Securing a new pavilion at Heatherdale Reserve has been a huge focus of the clubs who use it in recent years.

In the last 12 months they have engaged an architect to help them plan for the redevelopment.

The pavilion at Heatherdale Reserve is too small for the area's growing sporting population. Picture: Mark Dadswell

Heatherdale Cricket Club president Andrew Grealy said the clubs would need about $4 million to build their design, which would introduce the reserve’s first women’s changerooms and create enough space for the growing membership and community.

He said the pavilion, built in 1980, “served its purpose well for yesteryear”, but was not equipped for the more than 835 players using it in 2019.

Redeveloping the pavilion has been prioritised on Whitehorse Council’s four-year plan for fixing up sports facilities in the municipality.