HAWTHORN Football Club’s plans for a new headquarters in Dingley Village have been given the green light.
Kingston Council last week approved a Notice of Decision for a planning permit and a planning scheme amendment for the site at 370-440 Old Dandenong Rd and Lot 1 Grange Rd Dingley Village.
The planning permit allows for the subdivision of land and creation of a 27.9 hectare lot to be developed and used by the Hawks.
The proposed development includes a main training oval the size of the MCG and a multi-purpose training area with a potential running track and soccer field.
It will include two additional ovals – one similar to the dimensions of the Etihad Stadium playing surface and another for training and community use.
There will be a pavilion with tiered seating, change rooms, medical rooms, storage, offices and function centre able to accommodate 150 people, as well as a cafe, retail shop, museum, community education and “leadership” centre.
Kingston Council also adopted an amendment to the planning scheme which would allow the club, in future, to apply for more advertising signs at the site and to apply to expand the capacity of the function centre to 400 patrons.
At a public consultation process only one objection was received – and later withdrawn – following discussions with the club.
The mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley said the proposal was a “significant investment in the Green Wedge area and would be a great addition to the Dingley community”.
“We are excited about the growth of Kingston as a sporting hub of Melbourne’s south-east and look forward to welcoming the Hawks to our community,” she said.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 25 May 2016