A golden shovel has turned the first sod on a $4.1 million Bellbird Park facility, set to evolve Drouin’s soccer, hockey, and cricket clubs.

The redevelopment will include a large meeting space, a change room pavilion, and a massive 182-car parking lot.

A haven for soccer and hockey during Winter, Bellbird Park’s existing changerooms could only accommodate one team at a time due to COVID density limits.

The new facility will be shared between West Gippsland Hockey teams, Drouin Cricket Club, and Drouin Dragons Soccer Club.

“The existing facilities are 25-years-old, we outgrew them a few years ago with our playing numbers and the condition of the building is just not safe,” Drouin Dragons President Jason Beer said.

The rundown toilets, small canteen and small common room could no longer keep up with booming junior numbers.

At Drouin Dragons, there were about 150 players seven years ago, compared to 230 players last year.

“There has been a massive increase in soccer pre-COVID of course, but that will start ramping back up and get to higher than pre-COVID levels.

“It won’t be far away until Drouin Dragons get up to 300 players,” he said.

Mr Beer said women’s soccer numbers are especially booming, with girls now making up about 35% of the MiniRoos, and a similar amount in junior teams.

“We’ve got our dedicated U16s girls’ team and a women’s team, and I wouldn’t be surprised a couple years down the track we’ll have dedicated U12s and U14 girls’ teams,” Mr Beer said.

In total, the soccer club will have access to eight changerooms when the upgrades are complete, which will accommodate all teams.

And spectators can also rejoice, with unprecedented viewing and seating from the function room.

Two separate canteens will hold both West Gippsland Hockey Association games along with Drouin Dragons home games.

And the planned commercial kitchen will allow all sport clubs to host large functions inside the new facility, and give opportunity for club fundraisers.

“That’s a massive winner for finances, to increase revenue down the track.

“We’ll do all our senior and junior presentations in there, but then we also hold fundraiser functions throughout the year as well,” Beer said.

The facility will allow the soccer club to host country championships, with four pitches able to be used for games.

The 182-car parking lot will be built over an existing soccer pitch, but Mr Beer said it’s a small trade off.

“We rarely use [the pitch], it was really just for emergency and in winter it was really wet down there.

“When we host a grand final down here you’ve got people parking all around the streets, so that will make a massive difference,” he said.

Baw Baw Shire Council is contributing $2,170,000 to the project, with the Victorian Government contributing $2,000,000 via its Growing Suburbs Fund.

“Once it’s done, it will add to the existing amenities that we’ve done here at Bellbird Park, but more broadly across the funds we’ve seen $6million invested by the Andrew’s Government into sporting facilities in the Baw Baw Shire,” Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said.

Mayor Michael Leaney said the new facility will also be used a meeting place for the whole community.

“A few years ago when we had bushfires in the vicinity, Bellbird Park was used as a meeting space for people to come into … but the facilities just weren’t up to standard, so upgrading the multi-use facility we have here, it will provide an at-standard facility that is modern,” Mr Leaney said.

The project will be completed by Langden Constructions, based at Traralgon.