Games continue over sports’ needs

By Rebecca Fraser
FRUSTRATED Narre Warren sports clubs have called on Casey Council to deliver on its failed promises and build new recreational facilities in the city’s north.
Narre Sports and Leisure Alliance (NSLA) members met last week to unanimously voice their lack of confidence in Casey Council for inaction that has forced children to continue using overcrowded and rundown sports facilities, or who in come cases have no facilities at all.
Ten sports clubs form the NSLA and have all banded together to issue council with a list of key demands and call for urgent attention.
These demands include delivering on the council’s promise to build two football/cricket ovals and clubrooms ready to be used by 2007 in Belgrave-Hallam Road; to immediately sign the sale contracts for the purchase of part of the Timbarra Secondary College site to house a minimum three-court basketball/netball complex; and to ensure appropriate funds for both projects are included in full in the 2006-07 budget.
Narre North Foxes Junior Football Club president Sean Delaney said members were absolutely sick and tired of the council’s inability to meet the needs of sporting clubs and residents in Narre Warren, north of the Princes Highway.
“It is unheard of anywhere in Melbourne that 14 junior footy teams have to squash onto the one oval with four senior teams,” he said.
“Now, after months of assurances from council that it secured sufficient land to build two new ovals and clubrooms, we suddenly find out that there is only room for just one oval.
“What a joke.”
Oatlanders Basketball Club president Peter Rymer has also criticised the council over its sluggish response to the desperate need for a multipurpose basketball complex in Narre Warren.
Mr Rymer said Oatlanders was the largest junior basketball club in the southern region, yet it did not have a home venue.
He said its members, some as young as eight, had to travel to Berwick, Cranbourne, Dandenong and Endeavour Hills just to train.
Narre North Cricket Club president Adrian Osborne said his club was the fastest-growing junior cricket club in Casey.
“All our residents are hearing every time they open a newspaper is how all our rates are being used to fund projects in the south such as Casey Fields, the aquatic centre, the new performing arts centre – and all in Cranbourne,” he said.
Casey councillor Mick Morland said the council was totally committed to providing more sports facilities in northern Casey and was still committed to building two new ovals – not one – for the Narre Warren clubs.
Cr Morland said there had been a few “hiccoughs” with acquiring more land for the second oval, but as soon as the council secured the purchase of the site it would be built.
“Building ovals and sports stadiums takes a few years, but council is totally committed,” he said.
“We are currently conducting a feasibility study into acquiring land to build a basketball stadium and I hope to get the pavilion into this year’s budget.
“The funds are already there for the oval – it is in the budget – we are just waiting to secure the land.”