Frequently asked questions

La Trobe’s Sports Park is a world-class facility for teaching, research, community participation and elite sport, and is a key component of the La Trobe University’s ambitious plan to transform its Melbourne Campus in Bundoora into a University City of the Future.

The La Trobe Sports Park is a major regional sporting asset for the local community, bringing national, state and local sports organisations to Melbourne’s north.

It houses a state-of-the-art teaching and research facility, an elite performance space and world-class sporting facilities to support major sports events, regular grass-roots competitions and community recreation opportunities for up to 10,000 local community members per week.

Facilities include a six-court indoor stadium, research laboratories and sports fields for football, Australian Rules football, cricket and baseball.

The Sports Park is located on 60 hectares in the south-west corner of the University’s campus in Bundoora. Access to the Sports Park is from Kingsbury Drive. Find out more about how to get to the campus.

Parking is available in car parks 1, 2, 2A and 2C. For more information on parking at La Trobe University, visit Transport Central.

In May 2021, Victorian Acting Premier James Merlino, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula, and Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams announced an investment of $101.1 million into a state-of-the-art facility at La Trobe University’s Sports Park in Bundoora. This investment is in addition to the Commonwealth Government’s earlier commitment of $15 million towards the construction of the new home of the Matildas in Victoria.

Stage 3 of the development will see La Trobe University’s Sports Park facility in Bundoora become the national base for Football Australia's national women's programs, including the home of the Matildas, and the State Centres for Football Victoria and Rugby Victoria.

The facilities will span 15 hectares and the La Trobe community will enjoy access to open spaces such as a green corridor, landscaped spaces for community gathering, pathways for walking and cycling, public amenity facilities and parking.

The project is supported by the Victorian Government and the Commonwealth Government and is a partnership between La Trobe University, Football Australia, Football Victoria and Rugby Victoria.

Construction on Stage 3 of the Sports Park development began in October 2021.

Construction of the Football Victoria project will be completed in March 2023 so that it can be the training base for the Matildas ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The remainder of the development will be completed in August 2023.

The Stage 3 development is located on La Trobe University land, on the north-western side of the Sports Park site, adjacent to Darebin Creek.

Yes. The La Trobe Sports Stadium and other facilities at the Sports Park remain open and operational during construction. For more information on these facilities, including how to book them, please visit La Trobe Sports Park Facilities.

During construction of the Stage 3 development, the site area will be fenced off. This helps to contain the construction activity and keep the area safe.

During construction, there may be increased dust, noise and activity in the area.

Access to the La Trobe Sports Stadium and the other facilities at the Sports Park will remain open during construction.

Construction will generally take place Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) between 6am to 6pm, and Saturdays 6am to 3pm.  During these times, there may be increased dust, noise and activity in the area.

During construction, the site (which is located on La Trobe University land adjacent to the Darebin Creek) will have construction fencing installed to help contain the works and keep the area safe. As a result, there will be some restricted access along the eastern boundary of the Darebin Creek during the works.

La Trobe University is working with the Darebin Creek Management Committee, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation and Melbourne Water on phase one of a long-term project to revegetate the bio-diverse waterway – known as Nangak Tamboree. The waterway connects with Darebin Creek in the south, runs through the Melbourne Campus to the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary and streams through the north.

Phase one of the revegetation project, which commenced in February 2021, covers the Darebin Creek frontage and involves regenerating indigenous plant species and managing weed infestation through Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung fire practice and manual weed removal, and revegetating 92,000 m² with indigenous plant species.

Read more about the Revegetating the Nangak Tamboree Project.

Minimising the impact on vegetation was a priority during the design phase of the Sports Park development.

As part of the design and construction process, an assessment by a qualified arborist was conducted of all trees and vegetation on site to help identify those that are required to be protected and retained, and those which need to be removed for construction. Project designs were altered to retain 75% of trees that were deemed to have high retention value, in addition to another 50 trees which will be preserved. Tree protection zones have been installed to ensure that these trees are not impacted by construction.

Learn more about how La Trobe is minimising vegetation impacts during construction of the Sports Park.

Towards the end of construction, approximately 10,000 new trees and shrubs of local provenance will be planted as part of an open and landscaped green corridor area at the site, which the community will be able to use and enjoy.

In addition, a separate area along the Darebin Creek has been fenced off to protect and preserve the native vegetation in this area while the Sports Park works are underway. This is part of a collaborative project between La Trobe University, Darebin Creek Management Committee, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation and Melbourne Water. The project involves revegetating 92,000 m² of the Darebin Creek frontage with indigenous plant species and managing weed infestation through Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung fire practice.

This is part of a longer-term project to revegetate  the bio-diverse waterway –known as Nangak Tamboree. The waterway connects with Darebin Creek in the south, runs through the Melbourne Campus to the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary and streams through the north.

Read more about the Revegetating the Nangak Tamboree Project.

Vegetation and trees that are to be removed for Stage 3 of the development are first checked by a zoologist for the presence and safe relocation of any fauna. The zoologist inspects spaces including underneath rocks, logs and timber for any fauna. If native fauna species are found, they are captured and relocated to the nearest suitable habitat.

Trees that are removed will either be re-purposed or mulched for on-site use, utilised as habitat logs across campus - including the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary – or donated to local councils for use in the local community.

Learn more about the process for assessing trees, vegetation and wildlife.

Following reintroduction of cultural burning as part of La Trobe University’s long term project to revegetate the Nangak Tamboree, the critically endangered Matted Flax-lily (Dianella amoena) resurfaced along the Darebin Creek.

La Trobe has also been working the Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment to salvage the Matted Flax-lily in the Sports Park project area for propagation and then re-establishment in a dedicated and protected area in the Nangak Tamboree. All known patches were sampled to retain the diversity within the local gene pool.

Learn more about how cultural burning brought back the Matted Flax-lily.