The Melbourne Sports Centre – Parkville, previously known as the State Netball Hockey Centre is a multipurpose sporting facility located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the administrative headquarters for both Netball Victoria and Hockey Victoria and features two outdoor hockey fields and several indoor netball courts, each capable of seating up to 8,000 and 3,050 spectators respectively. National Basketball League club Melbourne United played home matches at the venue in the past, as well as Super Netball team Melbourne Vixens, though both clubs have shifted home matches to larger-capacity arenas. Hockey Club Melbourne of the Hockey One league play home games on the main hockey pitch. The facility, opened on 16 March 2001, is located in Royal Park, Parkville next to the Melbourne Zoo. The facility is run by the State Sport Centres Trust, which operates four other sporting facilities in Melbourne, namely the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC), the MSAC Institute of Training (MIT) and Lakeside Stadium. History The development of the State Netball Hockey centre dates back to 1996 when the Royal Park Master Plan was prepared by the City of Melbourne. Under the plan the existing State Netball Centre would be demolished and integrated with the State Hockey Centre. The demolishing of the State Netball Centre along with a reduction in the number of outdoor courts enabled the reinstatement of parkland and playing fields. The plan also outlined improving amenities for all park users in conjunction with the development of the centre, including improved roads, public transport and car parking. In May 1998 $24.5 million funding was approved by the Victorian Government, via a project known as the Community Sports Fund. In February 1999 a revised budget of $27 million was accepted after a tender process found that the previous budget was too small, even after reducing the scope of the project. The approval for the centre was fast-tracked so as to allow the venue to be assessed by the 2006 Commonwealth Games Evaluations Panel in mid-1999. The redevelopment of the facilities began in March 1999 and was planned to be completed by April 2000. Construction was completed in November 2000, and the facility was officially opened on 16 March 2001. The redevelopment of the park was objected to by several interest groups. In May 1999 legal action commenced against the redevelopment of Royal Park, on the grounds that the development was inconsistent with the purpose