The Bendigo Sports Centre is set to come alive once again in Semester 2 under the administration of La Trobe Sport; mirroring the operating model that currently exists at the Indoor Sports Centre on the Bundoora Campus.
The revamped Bendigo Sports Centre is currently undergoing a refit which will see a brand-new gymnasium installed, as well as the construction of specialised areas that will facilitate group exercise classes and court access for a variety of sporting activities.
La Trobe Sport Senior Manager for Sport Infrastructure and Operations, Nick Lambert, said aligning La Trobe Sport’s regional offering with that of its Melbourne programs would provide numerous benefits to the Bendigo Campus community.
“We are excited to bring La Trobe Sport and our health and fitness offerings to the Bendigo Campus,” he said.
“This is an exciting opportunity to not only provide a range of health and wellbeing benefits for the Bendigo community, but also a chance to deliver expanded campus activation and community engagement through active recreation.”
Lambert added that providing student employment and additional work-integrated learning opportunities at the Bendigo Campus was a key focus of the expansion proposal.
“La Trobe Sport is already the largest casual employer of students across the University and we look forward to extending our student employment opportunities to those based at the Bendigo Campus to complement their studies,” he said.
“In addition to this, we look forward to providing greater accessibility to our range of student experiences; whether that be through Team La Trobe participation events, becoming involved in one of our La Trobe-affiliated clubs or representing La Trobe University on the national stage at key events such as University Nationals.
“From a staff perspective, the opening of the Bendigo Sports Centre will allow staff to access the same salary deduction benefits as Bundoora-based staff and assists the University in delivering a work environment that supports health and wellbeing as per the 2020-2030 Strategic Plan.”
La Trobe Sport Health and Fitness Coordinator, Georgia Couvalias, said La Trobe Sport would look to foster the same friendly and welcoming environment in Bendigo as what patrons have come to expect of La Trobe Sport’s facilities at the Bundoora Campus.
“La Trobe University has always been a place where anyone from anywhere can come and be welcomed with open arms,” Couvalias said.
“I am proud to have seen this come to fruition within La Trobe Sport and our facilities - in particular our health and fitness community. To now be able to bring that same community feel to the health and fitness facilities at the Bendigo campus is a project we are proud to be a part of.
“At the moment, we are redeveloping the gym to ensure it has the latest tech and gear and we’ve even managed to fit a rig into the facility. We will be providing La Trobe student and staff discounts to all of our facilities and offering group classes later in the year to further create the community feel and empowering our members to take charge of their health and wellbeing.”
Bendigo Campus Director, Julie Rudner, said the addition of the La Trobe Sport-run facility would complement the existing health and fitness options available at the regional campus.
“It is really exciting to welcome La Trobe Sport to the Bendigo Campus; while our natural areas provide excellent places to walk, run and cycle, these facilities will extend our options for staff, students and community,” Rudner said.
“It is well situated near a sports field, a pool, both on-road and off-road bike paths and has great active transport links with the city.
“The research shows that active living is important for our physical, social and mental health throughout the lifecycle, as well as supporting study. We’re pleased to be able to offer all of these as part of the La Trobe experience at our campus.”
While an opening date is yet to be confirmed, the revamped Bendigo Sports Centre is set to open its doors to the La Trobe community and the wider public in early Semester 2.
Make sure you are following La Trobe Sport on Facebook and Instagram or join our mailing list to receive the latest news regarding the opening of the Bendigo Sports Centre and special discount offers for La Trobe students and staff in the lead up to the official opening over the coming weeks.
