Shepparton Youth Club United Cricket Club president Steven Nash, Shepparton Swans Football Netball Club president Jarrod Sutherland, City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali, council’s director infrastructure Gary Randhawa and chief executive Fiona Le Gassick.
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Demolition of the existing clubrooms at Shepparton’s Princess Park has begun, signalling the official start of works on the long-awaited $4.9 million Princess Park Multi Use Events Pavilion.
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The redevelopment, to be constructed by local builder Moretto Building, marks a significant milestone for the sporting precinct, which was heavily impacted by the October 2022 floods.
The old clubrooms, originally a portable building relocated to the park more than 70 years ago — were deemed unfit for use after being inundated with floodwaters.
Greater Shepparton City Council awarded the contract for the design and construction of the new pavilion earlier this year, following extensive consultation with user groups.
Mayor Shane Sali said the project represented a positive step forward after years of uncertainty.
“The October 2022 floods caused significant damage to Princess Park and its facilities,” Sali said.
“Since then, council has worked closely with sporting clubs and the community to determine the best way forward, seeing demolition begin is a moment of progress and optimism.”
The new pavilion will offer modern, inclusive and flood-resilient facilities.
Key features include gender-inclusive change rooms, trainers’ rooms, umpire facilities and amenities designed to meet the standards of AFL, Netball Victoria and Cricket Victoria.
A spacious social room with a commercial kitchen, glass frontage overlooking the oval, a 3m-wide undercover verandah and tiered seating built into a grassy mound are also part of the design.
Importantly, the structure will be elevated 2.4m above ground level to mitigate flood risk in the future.
Shepparton Swans Football Netball Club president Jarrod Sutherland said the redevelopment was long overdue.
“Our club has been using the old building for over 70 years — it’s seen us through a lot,’’ Sutherland said.
“But now, with the floods behind us, we’re excited to move into something modern and inclusive that better reflects our club’s needs.”
Shepparton Youth Club United Cricket Club president Steven Nash added that removing the flood-damaged building was symbolic.
“It’s the last reminder of what we went through, to see it go means we can finally move forward and look ahead to what will be a fantastic facility,” Nash said.
Construction is expected to be completed by late 2026.
