News

Yarra endorses plans for new Futsal Pitch at Atherton Reserve in Fitzroy

30 October 2026

Blue background with speech bubbles and stars and words that say "closing the loop"

At the Council Meeting on Tuesday 13 October, Council unanimously endorsed plans to deliver a new all-weather synthetic futsal pitch at Atherton Reserve in Fitzroy.

Project background

In May 2025, Yarra City Council secured State Government grant funding to deliver a synthetic futsal pitch at Atherton Reserve.

The new pitch will support the needs of residents living in the housing estate near Atherton Reserve as well as the local community in Fitzroy and surrounding suburbs, while still providing space for dog walkers and other park users to enjoy this space.

We sought feedback from the community in November and December 2025 on the proposed Futsal Pitch and design elements.

Who did we hear from?

What did we ask?

Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements (from “Strongly disagree” to “Strongly agree”):

  • The installation of a new futsal pitch at Atherton Reserve will help provide an improved experience for people using the field for sport.
  • The installation of a new futsal pitch at Atherton Reserve will help create a clearer separation between soccer users and people walking their dogs off leash.

In addition to the new futsal pitch, we are considering adding some park furniture items to make the space better for all users. Please rank the following park furniture items from 1 to 4 from most important to least important to you.

  • A drinking fountain
  • Seating options near the pitch
  • New waste bins
  • Signage for the reserve

Do you have any other comments about the project at Atherton Reserve?

What we heard

The below table outlines the key themes and how we responded to them:

Theme

Our response

General support for the project:

  • 57.3% supportive, 32.7% not supportive

n/a

Allocation of space for different users:

  • Requests for a dedicated dog park.
  • Concerns about less space for dog owners.
  • Requests to retain more space for dog off-leash area.

  • A new dog park was not part of the scope of this project
  • The futsal pitch has been aligned to minimise the impact on surrounding open spaces.
  • The overall space for the pitch is approximately 1500m2, while maintaining 3900m2 as open space.

Fencing:

  • Requests for fencing to support all user groups’ access.
  • Fencing the whole park
  • A 3.1 metre high fence is included in the design
  • The budget and scope for a fence around the whole reserve are not currently included for the project.

Use of synthetic turf:

  • Support for year-round use.
  • Concerns about environmental impact of synthetic turf.
  • The pitch will be constructed from synthetic turf to increase its durability and allow access year-round.
  • The type of infill explored for use on this project is a natural material and not a traditional rubber infill.
  • Additionally, a Melbourne based synthetic recycling company has been consulted in relation to material disposal once at end of life to minimise future waste.

Additional elements to enhance the space:

  • Drinking fountain, waste bins, lighting
  • Lighting to allow use at nighttime

  • Drinking fountains, seating and bins are included in the project.
  • Lighting is not included in the budget for this project. This could be considered at a future stage.

Final Concept Design

Artist impression of the what new Futsal Pitch might look like

The final concept design responds to feedback received from community and stakeholder engagement.

Visit the project page

To read more about this consultation please visit the Atherton Reserve Futsal Pitch page on Your Say Yarra.