Why is Council upgrading the netball courts and playground at Ben Kavanagh Reserve?

    In 2015 Council worked with sporting groups and local residents to prepare a masterplan for the Reserve.

    A number of projects in the Masterplan have already been delivered including the new pavilion and car parking improvements.
    Council has now set aside funding in its capital works budget to complete the next stages of the masterplan including netball courts, play areas, shared paths, exercise equipment and Petanque pistes.



    Why is Council proposing to install two netball courts at the Reserve instead of one?

    Local participation in netball, particularly for females, has increased since the development of the 2015 master plan. When the 2015 masterplan was prepared the Mordialloc Football Club did not include netball activities but now, in 2019 it does, and is known as the Mordialloc Football Netball Club. The Mordialloc Junior Netball Club is experiencing significant participation growth and also requires access to additional facilities. 

    How was the design for the netball courts and play areas determined?

    Council engaged a landscape architect to assist with the designs for the netball and play areas at the Reserve. The designs factor in sporting code requirements and draws on sporting club and resident interests expressed during the 2015 masterplan process and via subsequent submissions to Council.

    The playground was identified for replacement in the 2015 masterplan. The playground design seeks to maximise use of the available space and to provide a variety of play and recreation options for an increased range of age groups.

    Does the netball court design include lighting?

    Yes, the proposed courts will be floodlit.  As with all floodlit community sporting surfaces in Kingston, Council requires that the lights are turned off by 9pm and this is managed via Council’s seasonal sporting facility allocation arrangements. 

    Will Council be removing any trees during the establishment of the proposed netball courts?

    Yes, the proposed establishment of two netball courts at Ben Kavanagh Reserve requires the removal of up to five trees.

    Council commissioned a Vegetation Assessment at the Reserve prior to designing the netball space. The proposed configuration of the available space has been informed by the Vegetation Assessment findings and has been selected primarily as it requires the least amount of vegetation removal. It is proposed that new trees will be planted within the Reserve to compliment the new design and configuration of the space, and to off-set the removal of existing trees.


    Will the netball courts be available for public use?

    Yes, when the courts are not being used by the sporting clubs they will be open and available for resident, community and school use. It is proposed that one of the courts will be provided as a multi-sport court.

    Where did the idea to provide Petanque facilities at the Reserve come from?

    Longbeach Petanque Club have been using facilities at Mordialloc Bowling Club (within Ben Kavanagh Reserve) and the 2015 masterplan proposed the inclusion of 10 petanque pistes within the actual Reserve for use by Longbeach Petanque Club.

    The design process has determined that there is not enough space at the Reserve to accommodate two netball courts and ten petanque pistes without significantly impacting vegetation and the available open grassy space. Given the significant demand for netball facilities in Mordialloc and the considerably lower rate of participation in petanque, Council is proposing the inclusion of a lesser amount of Petanque facilities than originally proposed in the 2015 masterplan. The pistes would be used by the Longbeach Petanque Club as part of their sporting activities and at all other times the facilities would be available for community use.