An “eastern sporting hub” in Box Hill? New partnership floated between local footy and cricket clubs at $28 million oval

The Box Hill Hawks Football Club (BHHFC) and the Box Hill Cricket Club (BHCC) have reached an agreement to move ahead with the management of Box Hill City Oval.

Tonight, Whitehorse Council is voting on endorsing a management model, which would allow both clubs to share the new facilities.

☝️How we got here: A joint project between Whitehorse Council, federal and state governments, and AFL Victoria, the $28 million invested into the oval would include reconstruction of the sports field and cricket nets, the demolition and reconstruction of the western pavilion and a refurbishment of the southern pavilion.

During the September council meeting, three options were put forward to decide the future of how Box Hill Oval would be managed. 

The proposal included:

• The Box Hill Hawks Football Club (BHHFC) receiving an annual lease of the new west pavilion; and

• The Box Hill Cricket Club only able to access parts of the new facilities five times a year.

Not happy on the wicket: Cricket club representatives hit back at the proposed option being dropped at their feet “at the eleventh hour”, leaving them about two days to discuss their stance.

A new proposal: Following the September meeting, council met with representatives from both clubs and provided a detailed summary of all options, resulting in a joint submission requesting an amendment.

The preferred option includes:

• An annual lease for the Hawks of the west pavilion and a seasonal licence of the southern pavilion for the changerooms and warm up zone; and

• A seasonal licence of the southern pavilion’s function space, changerooms and warm up zone for the cricket club.

Under the amended option, the umpires’ room in the west pavilion would be seasonally allocated to ensure the appropriate amenity is provided year-round for gym users.

Another request from the clubs included the construction of two separate shower/toilet spaces in the southern pavilion’s umpires and doctors’ room at a cost of up to $125,000, which would be accommodated within the current project budget.

What people said: BHCC president Lisa White said the club was “really happy” with the changes made, which will include a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hawks VFL club in terms of usage of the gym and the west pavilion function space.

• “It just gives us confidence that we're still able to use the west pavilion. The Hawks are going to have the lease over a lot of the spaces, but we've got an arrangement that we're still going to be able to use them,” White told the Eastern Melburnian.

• “I think it's a win-win for the local community that we're all driving the usage of that pavilion. It's going to be really exciting for what it can bring, both for cricket and footy, and to have a year-round space that everyone can use.”

The agreement would also include details on how the clubs will share the 200 square-metre social room in the western pavilion (cricket five times per annum) and the gym.

• Hawks FC general manager Pat Clancey said he hoped the new partnership would help create an “eastern sporting hub” for the community, realise plans which began in 2016 and set up both clubs to prosper over at least the next 30 years.

• “That’s almost a decade that it’s been in planning,” Clancey told the Eastern Melburnian. “There will be no similar facility in the eastern suburbs.”