Long wait on oval for Beaconsfield Football Club

By Melissa Meehan
AFTER 10 long years, Beaconsfield Football Club president John Airdrie can’t believe it could be another three years before his teams can set foot on the Holm Park Road oval.
Frustrated by news that works on the development had been stalled due to lack of funding, Mr Airdrie said the news had come as a blow to the Beaconsfield community.
“For a long time the community has been looking forward to something like this and to be honest the news is a major disappointment.”
But Cardinia Shire CEO Garry McQuillan says the council is still in the process of preparing its draft budget for 2010-11 and decisions about funding are yet to be finalised.
“We are appreciative of the work thus far,” Mr Airdrie said.
“Basically we have been waiting for 10 years for it to become real to us and we thought it would come to fruition at the end of the year – but now we are looking at two to three years away.”
Mr Airdrie told the Gazette that the football club was told last week that funds budgeted to build two extra grounds and clubrooms at the site was no longer available.
He said the club was told portable classrooms would be put up so that junior teams could play at the ground, but without proper clubrooms there would be no way that the senior teams could play at the ground.
“We need facilities,” he said.
“The news comes as a tragic decision for the Beaconsfield community, who for a long time have been looking forward to something like this and to be honest the news is a major disappointment.”
More than 3000 people are expected to use the new facility when up and running, including Auskick, the junior and senior football clubs, Super Rules, netballers, Beaconsfield and Upper Beaconsfield junior and senior cricket teams and Milo Cricket.
“We were willing to compromise on proposed facilities as the project progressed and budgets were blown but now we have been left with only one oval, maybe two, that will be available next year,” Mr Airdrie said.
“Keeping in mind that there has been talk of the O’Neil Road oval being handed over to the soccer club, we will in fact be losing an oval.”
Mr McQuillan said Holm Park Road Recreation Reserve was the council’s number one recreation priority for the growth corridor and one of the largest facilities to be constructed in recent times, second only to Cardinia Life in terms of financial commitment.
“To date, council has spent over $5.6 million, including purchasing the land and is currently undertaking stage one of the project. Stage one includes two new ovals, which are expected to be available for use next year,” he said.
“The overall development includes three ovals, a four-court netball/tennis complex, pavilions and changerooms, a skate park, recreation space and children’s playground. Construction of the main pavilion and timing of the works will be considered as part of the budget process.”
He said the shire was also seeking funding support from the state and federal governments for this important project in the build-up to the state and federal elections.