22/07/2026
⚽ Benalla Rovers Soccer Club Committee submission to Council RE: the proposed Churchill Recreation Reserve redevelopment. ⚽
"As a committee we welcome the proposed significant redevelopment of the Churchill Recreation reserve, which if undertaken as proposed, can provide the people of Benalla, particularly in the western end of town, with appropriately modern facilities to undertake and enjoy a variety of wonderful sports in one precinct.
While there is a sense of excitement, the committee also approach the proposal with some small amount of trepidation. The Rovers have called Churchill Reserve home for over 50 years. Much of the club rooms and facilities that currently exist (now in need of upgrade to meet modern requirements) exist because of the hard work and dedication of many generations of soccer-lovers in the town who poured so much of their own time and resources into the club for over fifty years. We are mindful that whatever steps come next for the Rovers as a club we must take them with a commitment to respecting and furthering the club’s already rich history.
Examining the legend for the masterplan, we understand that per the proposal there will be the loss of the current Benalla Rovers soccer pavilion and public toilet block (15 & 16), the addition of a modern senior-sized pitch within the centre of the athletics track (7), and provisions for junior-sized and training pitches (29 & 29a), with club storage and changing rooms located within the new multi-sport stadium (1).
While we understand the need for upgraded club facilities to meet the demands of modern stakeholders, we would like to ask the question as to why the current soccer pavilion is being removed, rather than renewed in the same way that the hockey pavilion and player shelters are (12 & 13)? Is this due to the age/material of those facilities compared to ours? Is this due to the need for access to the space currently occupied by the soccer pavilion with the construction of the multi-sport stadium? Given the long history of the soccer pavilion, and the efforts expended by many people to build them over time, we would appreciate an insight into the decision-making process behind their removal as opposed to renewal - especially given that if renewed they would still make geographical sense as a home for the soccer club, connected to the junior and training sized fields. If their removal is unavoidable, it will be imperative for the club to have a place within the multi-sport stadium to display and honour our recorded history, such as best and fairest winner boards that currently hang inside the club.
The club is committed to a long-term vision to return to junior competitive play, and senior recreational play. We have grown from around 10 registered members in 2025, to 60 registered members in 2026, with programs for ages 5-8 and 9-15 joining our 16+ social soccer on the field on a Friday evening. With plans to launch further programs like a Mum’s Soccer Group, and possibly Walking Football in 2027, we foresee continued participation growth in the years to come. Therefore it will be imperative for the club to work towards securing not only the proposed senior-sized pitch within the athletics track, but the long-term future of pitches at the proposed 29 and 29a locations on the masterplan. Demonstrating the club’s ability to sustain and grow participation in the sport in order to achieve this is one of our top priorities.
Finally, there has been discussion of a temporary need for the club to relocate on-field operations during the undertaking of the redevelopment. While the club is open to working with council to find a suitable venue capable of facilitating our weekly evening programs under lights, we would like to ask the question as to whether the club could not simply continue running programs under lights at sites 29 and/or 29a during the building of the multi-sport stadium. Given the long-term nature of all proposed projects, the club would rather stay as close to “home” as possible wherever possible, and this would be an agreeable interim solution for us while the senior-sized pitch is constructed within the athletics track. In line with this, the club would like to know what the anticipated timeline on construction of a pitch in the athletics track would be?
We look forward to seeing the results from the current round of feedback submission, and would happily meet with Council or other relevant parties if further discussion or clarification on any of our feedback is required.
With kind regards,
The Benalla Rovers Soccer Club Committee"
Churchill_Masterplan.pdf:
