A Sunbury man wants to shed light on safety concerns at a prominent public park in his neighbourhood.
Peter Gavin said parts of Mitchells Lane and the basketball stadium carpark at Boardman Reserve were shrouded in darkness at night and he feared for the safety of joggers and walkers.
“While jogging along the footpath of Mitchells Lane recently … I noticed that the light at the intersection that leads into the Boardman Reserve was out of action and there was no football practice, so it was extremely dark,” he said.
“There is no lighting in the carpark at the rear of the basketball stadium and there is only one overhead light on the northern side of Mitchells Lane for the whole area.”
He said his campaign for better lighting was sparked by a similar Melbourne campaign prompted by the murder of Eurydice Dixon as she walked home through Princes Park in Carlton after a comedy gig last month.
“One shouldn’t expect that only people who have martial art skills be the only people game enough to run or walk along this side of Boardman Reserve at night,” Mr Gavin
said.
Hume council committed in its 2018-2019 budget announcement last month to spending $18 million over the next four years on upgrades to sports grounds, including Boardman Reserve. Another $5.6 million investment will be made in the next six years in sports ground lighting upgrades.
Corporate services director Daryl Whitfort said the council was looking into the Boardman Reserve issue.
“This lighting issue in Sunbury has recently been brought to council’s attention and officers are investigating the existing lights that have been reported as currently not working,” he said.
“Once this has been rectified, there should be adequate lighting.”
