Hub hobbled

By Dion Teasdale
THE proposal to create a community sports hub at Healesville High School was officially dumped last week.
Shire of Yarra Ranges councillors voted on Tuesday, 25 October to reject the school’s application for funding for the project.
The sports hub would have involved the construction of a new playing field adjacent to the community’s indoor pool and the school’s gymnasium on Camerons Road.
The school had hoped the three facilities could operate as an amalgamated community sports complex and become a permanent home for the Healesville Soccer Club.
Instead of supporting the project, the council decided to upgrade the second sports oval at the Don Road Reserve in Healesville. The shire will spend $200,000 improving the drainage and irrigation at the second oval, which it hopes the Healesville Soccer Club or the Healesville Junior Football Club will utilise.
Healesville High School assistant principal Allan Rennick said the school was disappointed it didn’t receive the funding.
“But we are pleased a decision has been made and that we can get on with creating a sports oval for our students,” he said.
Mr Rennick said the school would use $160,000 from the Department of Education to construct a smaller sports oval on land adjacent to the school’s gymnasium, which he hoped would be completed in the next 12 months.
Meanwhile, Shire of Yarra Ranges executive officer of recreational services Gerran Wright said the shire would finalise design work on the Don Road oval upgrade and press on with negotiations with three sports clubs to work out how to best utilise the facility.
Mr Wright said there were two options the shire would discuss with the Healesville Soccer Club and the Healesville junior and senior football clubs.
“Either the soccer club moves to Don Road and shares the reserve with the senior football club, or the junior football club moves to Don Road and lets the soccer club move into their facility at Queen’s Park,” he said.
The three clubs have welcomed the shire’s decision to upgrade the oval, but believe further complications lie ahead.
Healesville Soccer Club president Barry Cripps and Healesville Senior Football Club president Greg Hay both foresee clashes if the soccer club is relocated.
“If we go to Don Road our Saturday matches will clash with the senior football club’s games, and there will be a problem with admission,” Mr Cripps said.
“The football club charges admission to the ground and we wouldn’t.”
Mr Nay said there would be teething problems if the soccer club or junior football club moved to Don Road.
“There will be lack of change room facilities, clashes with training times and we will need to get additional lighting,” he said.
Both Mr Cripps and Mr Hay said upgrading the oval was a step in the right direction, but was not a complete solution.
“All three clubs are on very good terms and we’ll work together to get the best result for everyone, but there will need to be more investment for two clubs to be accommodated at Don Road,” Mr Hay said.