Healesville Junior Football Club president Mick Connell (front right) and the club’s players and committee members fear they may be evicted from their home at the Queens Park oval. Pictured with Mr Connell are (back left to right) player Josh Mende, committee members Ray Hart and Ollie Vogues, club vice president Andrew Eggington, committee members Tanya White and Graham Mende and under 11s coach Lee Dryden. Centre row (left to right) are players Hayden Pottage, Oscar Mills, Jake White, Kyle Millgate, Patrick Connell, Nigel Wilks, Jarrad Holinger and Ryan Vogues. Front row (left to right) are players Hayden Mende, Luke Vogues, Jack Dryden, Steven Pitto and Harley Mills.By Dion Teasdale
HEALESVILLE Junior Football Club is gearing up for a showdown with the Shire of Yarra Ranges over the allocation of sports facilities in the town.
The club fears a proposal presented by council officers at a meeting last week will see it evicted from its home at the Queens Park oval.
The shire has earmarked $200,000 to upgrade the second oval at the Don Road sporting complex and has suggested the club share facilities with Healesville Senior Football Club.
The move would free up the Queens Park facility for the Healesville Soccer Club, which has been without a permanent home for the past five years.
However, Healesville Junior Football Club president, Mick Connell, said the proposal to relocate the club was unacceptable and that the club would fight to stay where it is.
“Queens Park is our home ground. We’ve been playing football here for over 100 years,” he said.
“It is also the best location for our family oriented club. The ground is the right size for junior games, it is close to three local schools, close to the skate park, has good public lighting and is safe from traffic.”
Mr Connell said the shire risked creating a serious rift in the community if the junior club was forced to move.
“The shire does not seem to be aware of how much this could affect the fabric of our community,” he said.
Mr Connell said the club was disappointed by the lack of communication from the shire over the matter.
“We met with council early last year and they encouraged us to proceed with upgrades at Queens Park. There has been no dialogue with us to indicate that we might be evicted until mid November this year,” he said.
Mr Connell said the club had spent $12,000 over the past two years improving the Queens Park club rooms and was about to embark on $150,000 worth of upgrades, for which it was issued with a planning permit from the shire in August this year.
“It’s outrageous for us to be allowed to go ahead with these plans and then for the shire to turn around and tell us they want to evict us from our home,” he said.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges’ executive officer of recreation services, Gerran Wright, confirmed the preferred option was for the two football clubs to be located at Don Road, but said no decision had been made yet.
“We are committed to genuine exploration of all possible options and to ongoing consultation with all stake holders,” he said.
“We want the best long-term outcome for all parties and want to try and make sure no club is disadvantaged by the chosen option.”
Ryrie Ward councillor Jeanette McRae encouraged club representatives to keep talking.
“I think it is important that the clubs have the ability to have control of what happens to them,” she said.
“It might be difficult to find a solution, but there is a good degree of respect between clubs and it will help them get through this.”
Mr Connell said the junior club’s preferred option would be to work with the soccer club to keep Queens Park as a venue for junior football and soccer.
Healesville Soccer Club president Barry Cripps said the idea had merit.
Mr Connell also suggested it would be better for the council to spend the allocated $200,000 on transforming the third oval at Don Road into a playing field for the soccer club’s senior teams.
Mr Wright said this option might prove to be too expensive, and that if an agreement could not be reached before Christmas, the matter would be referred to a council meeting in the new year.
Representatives from the Healesville Junior Football Club, Healesville Soccer Club and Healesville Senior Football Club are scheduled to meet this week to discuss accommodation options for the future.
