McDonald Reserve is already a popular place for structured and non-structured sport and recreation with tennis courts, oval and a popular place for dog walking. We are proposing to include at the site the following:

  • A hockey pitch
  • Additional tennis courts and dedicated pickleball courts
  • Open space and seating to continue to support soccer training and recreation
  • Sports lighting to suit both hockey and soccer
  • A new shared tennis and hockey pavilion and storage
  • Upgraded walking trails

The designs presented on this page are only ideas at this stage.

Following the design and consultation phase, there is currently no dedicated budget allocated for further stages of this project. Your feedback will be valuable in shaping the future of the reserve.

We will keep the community updated as funding opportunities are explored. Hit the +Follow button at the top of the page to receive emails as the project progresses.

Revised concept plan

Informed by your feedback during our first phase of engagement we have made some improvements to the proposed plan.

Proposed features

Click on the spots to see what features are being proposed in the new plan.

Please note this design is only conceptual. At this stage there is no dedicated budget for this project. Your feedback will help shape the future of the reserve.

An aerial view of McDonald Reserve with the proposed features illustrated on top. In the top right there is an oval with AFL, Soccer and Cricket line markings, In the bottom two thirds of the page from left to right are 2 synthetic tennis courts, 6 clay t

Comparison

Use the slider to compare McDonald Reserve now with what features are proposed in the revised concept plan.

Current layout: An aerial photo of McDonald Reserve as it looks now. There is an oval, a large area of lawn, 4 clay tennis courts and 2 synthetic tennis courts. Proposed layout: An aerial photograph of McDonald reserve with new facilities illustrated over it. There is now AFL, Socker and Cricket markings on the oval, a new hockey pitch next to a pavillion and pickleball court, as well as 6 new tennis courts. The large lawn area i

What are we doing now?

We received a lot of feedback about parking and traffic issues around the reserve. We are investigating controls and mitigations as well as progressing the following:

  • Installing a shared crossing near the school to support safe pedestrian access.
  • New solar lights will also be installed to illuminate the new crossing – this will take place in March-April 2025.

Below you can see the proposed plan for the crossing. We aim to begin installation during the July 2025 school holidays.

A detailed plan for the new shared crossing

A shared path will be installed on the southern half of Urquhart Street between Armstead Street and Alva Grove. This will provide a safe cycling connection from the Merri Creek Trail to Pentridge Boulevard and Coburg High School.

The new path will also help address the current issues of double-parking and illegal parking occurring near the school and reserve

The design above has the implementation of a new parking and access section for the reserve. There is also plenty of parking currently within the council carpark. We will install temporary signage to advise community of the access and unrestricted parking.

As part of Council’s commitment to delivering safe, sustainable and high-quality community infrastructure, we acknowledge the concerns surrounding PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and their potential environmental and health impacts.

To ensure we are making informed and responsible decisions, an independent assessment is being undertaken. This will provide us with information to better understand the presence and potential effects of PFAS.

We are also investigating PFAS-free options for the proposed synthetic hockey pitch.

In line with our Sports Surface Policy, these same principles will be applied to any redevelopment of the tennis courts to ensure consistent approaches across the entire plan.

In 2022 Council commissioned a feasibility study (refer to the documents section for the reports) to assess the potential for developing hockey facilities within the municipality to meet the growing interest, demand and participation in the sport. Council resolved to investigate a second site for a Hockey Pitch. The outcome of the feasibility study identified that McDonald Reserve was Identified as the preferred location.

The existing Hockey facilities at Brunswick Secondary College have two non-female friendly changerooms, no shower amenities or first aid room, or umpire facilities. There is no shade or seating available for the up to 200 spectators that attend matches. Parking is extremely limited. The existing single pitch is utilised every day for competition (March to October) and due to excess demand, teams have strict limitations on training times.

The study evaluated:

  • Current demand for the sport
  • Potential sites
  • Cost

A few locations were considered as part of this study. McDonald Reserve in Coburg was identified as the most appropriate site.

The key recommendation was to proceed with a detailed site assessment and then create a proposed design for community engagement.

The local sports clubs

  • Brunswick Hockey Club

    Brunswick Hockey Club has been operating for 101 years and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Merri-bek. The club has 35 teams and provides 2,000 hours of free hockey clinics to local students each year.

  • East Coburg Tennis Club

    Since 1935, East Coburg Tennis Club has offered a welcoming space for players of all ages. With a range of programs, 800 weekly participants, and 32 competitive teams, ECTC fosters skill-building, fitness, and community connection.

  • Brunswick Juventus Football Club

    Brunswick Juventus was registered as a Football Club in 1948 by immigrants within Melbourne’s northern suburbs. The club now hosts 38 Teams and 560 registered players of all ages, genders and skill-levels.

Our decision making framework

This diagram shows the process we follow when making decisions about our sportsground surfaces, based on our Sportsground Surface Policy. Click on the spots to learn more about each step. For this project we are at the Stakeholder and community engagement stage.

circular flowchart that shows the headings for each step of the decision making process

How can the community influence this project?

What can be influenced?

  • We want to understand how the community feels about inclusion of a hockey pitch and proposed upgrades.
  • Community feedback will help us refine and improve the concept design.

What can't be changed?

  • Council has determined that the only feasible location for the much needed hockey pitch is McDonald Reserve
  • Hockey can only be played on a synthetic pitch