Club put offside

By Dion Teasdale
HEALESVILLE Soccer Club has accused the Shire of Yarra Ranges of bungling plans to give the club improved facilities and a permanent home ground.
The club says the shire has done a back-flip on plans to provide a new playing surface for the club’s senior teams at the Don Road Sports Complex in Healesville.
The club’s president, Barry Cripps, and treasurer, Richard McCoid, spoke out last week claiming that six years of negotiations with the shire have left them with nothing.
They have also accused the shire of misleading the club, of poor communication, of lacking clear direction and failing to listen to the wishes of sporting clubs in the town.
The club says that the lack of support from the shire has seen members forced to play their senior games at the Yarra Glen Recreation Reserve where there are no change rooms, no toilets and no shelter from the weather.
The issue came to a head late last month when representatives from the shire’s recreation department met with club members to update them on plans to refurbish the number two oval at the Don Road Complex.
“At the meeting the shire told us that the estimates for the works to upgrade the second oval at Don Road were incorrect, that the costs could double and that they would have to commission another report,” Mr McCoid said.
“This comes a year after we told the shire we thought their estimates were wrong and now we are looking at still being without improved facilities for at least another year, if not two.”
Mr Cripps said the shire’s ongoing delays in providing improved facilities were having a negative impact on the club.
“We are losing members who are not happy with the poor state of our facilities.
“Local families are taking their kids to clubs in other places such as Eltham because they’ve got change rooms, shelters and toilets,” he said.
“On a weekly basis we’ve got teenage boys and girls getting changed in the bushes and in car parks and if anyone wants to go to the toilet they have to drive to Yarra Glen’s main street.
“We’ve got nothing but a cold tap.”
Both Mr Cripps and Mr McCoid said they were disappointed with the shire’s handling of negotiations to find the club a better deal and were infuriated by the latest set back.
“We feel like the shire has pulled the rug from underneath the club, like they have wasted our time and failed to give us the support and action we deserve,” Mr McCoid said.
The shire’s community relations manager James Martin said the set-back was regrettable but beyond the shire’s control.
“The initial estimates for works on the second oval were for draining and irrigation works,” he said.
“The problem now is that we’ve found that the quality of the soil is very poor. The oval will need sand capping, and this will mean a significant increase in the cost of the project.”
Mr Martin said the shire was committed to working through a range of options to look at possible funding for the extra costs.
“We’ll need to work through the numbers and see what can be done. The cost of the project will be more than the $200,000 the shire had allocated to the project,” he said.
“This won’t be an easy fix, but the shire wants this to progress as much as the soccer club does.”
Shire of Yarra Ranges Ryrie Ward councillor Jeanette McRae said she was committed to working with the soccer club to obtain the best possible outcome.
“The soccer club has been very patient and we are hoping to reach a solution that meets their needs as soon as possible,” she said.
Mr McCoid and Mr Cripps said they had enlisted the support of Seymour MP Ben Hardman and Liberal candidate for Seymour Mike Dalmau.
“Healesville Soccer Club provides many things for the local community.
“It brings people together and is a great outlet for young people and we aren’t getting the support from the shire we need,” Mr Cripps said.