The church recently received approval to go ahead with the project, which will include 38 car parks and will cost more than $100,000.

Project manager Keith Starick said the idea had been in the making for two years.

“We demolished the old rectory building that was next door and we found that there was a need for an extra car park here,” he said.

“When there’s big services like funerals, weddings and baptisms, there’s a need for the whole community to have somewhere to park.

“We have also spoken to Lister House – they are very supportive of the idea and will contribute to the finances. They will be able to utilise it during the week and when we’re not needing it for services.

“We’ve gone through all the processes – right from the start we needed the authority from our Diocese in Ballarat – so it’s been a very consultative process that we’ve gone through over the last two years.”

Horsham Anglican Church is the base church for the district. It also has parishioners from Natimuk, Rupanyup and Murtoa.

“There have been many meetings with our parish members and the final approval for the plan goes through the Parish Council,” he said.

“We’re now at the stage where it has been approved, but now we need to finance it somehow. Churches are not businesses; we rely very heavily on donations. We feel this will be for the whole community, not just for the church.

“We have a lot of young families with children. For them to have to park far away and walk across a main highway is not ideal.”

Church priest Father Denis Sotiriadis said funerals at the church could attract up to 300 people.

“When that happens, all the streets are clogged. This will give grieving families that chance to park safely and easily,” he said.

“Our normal church service on a Sunday attracts between 60 and 80 people. This will mean people will have a safe place for people to gather and a safe place for people to park.

“It will also mean elderly and sick people going to Lister House will have a park close by instead of crossing four lanes of highway.”

Half the car park will be made available to church parishioners, while the other half will be for Lister House patrons.

The church’s planning permit for the project is valid until the end of next year.

To find out how you can contribute to the car park, contact the Horsham Anglican Church on 5382 6633 or drop in at 62 Baillie Street, Horsham.

Mail-outs have also been done with information about how people can contribute.