BAYSIDE City Council has welcomed a $2,936,000 grant from the Federal Government toward a $3.3 million upgrade of the Regional Soccer Facility in Cheltenham.

Bayside Mayor Councillor James Long said the upgrade of the Kingston Heath Soccer complex located at Kingston Heath Reserve, would meet the needs for a quality regional soccer facility in the Bayside-Kingston area.

“Soccer participation across the region increased by 43 per cent between 2004 and 2007. More than 2,500 players are registered with Bayside-based clubs this season.

“The proposal to develop a regional facility in Kingston was identified in the Regional Soccer Strategy, which was prepared last year by Bayside and Kingston councils, regional soccer clubs, Football Federation Victoria and the State Government.

“The facility will cater for the needs of our local soccer clubs, schools and community groups who, I’m sure will take advantage of increased access to soccer opportunities at this facility,” Cr Long said.

Construction on the facility will start by early September 2009, with completion due in March next year.

One of the many features of the Kingston Heath Soccer complex upgrade will be the provision of two new synthetic pitches, which provide up to three times greater capacity than turf-based sportsgrounds.

“Synthetic pitches require little water to maintain a quality surface, which is a major advantage in these times of drought and severe water shortages,” Cr Long said.

The grant was made under the Federal Government’s Community Infrastructure Program. Kingston City Council will fund the additional $360,000 cost of the project.