By Oliver Lees
Members of the Hanging Rock Cricket Club have been left devastated following the release of the Hanging Rock Master Plan, which provides no space for the club to continue to play matches within the precinct.
The Hanging Rock Master Plan was released earlier this month by the state government following community consultation and the approval of the 50-year Hanging Rock Strategic Plan in 2018.
The document was created as a joint effort with Macedon Ranges council.
Within the proposed changes section of the master plan, the Hanging Rock Cricket Club oval, as well as the facilities for the Hanging Rock Tennis Club and the Hanging Rock Petanque Club are to be removed.
Hanging Rock Cricket Club vice-president Stephen Mitchell has been engaging with the state government and council throughout the community consultation phases of the plan’s development.
He described the document’s vision of excluding his and the other sporting club from the precinct’s future as “nonsensical”.
“We have provided extensive submissions and got very little information back, and very little in terms of guarantees about our future,” Mr Mitchell said.
“They’ve taken out the only community specific activity that exists at the Rock.”
The master plan outline describes the inclusion of Aboriginal cultural heritage, preservation of landscape and environment and tourism experiences among the key values of the document.
Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas said she was pleased with the vision for the iconic space.
“In collaboration with Traditional Owners, the master plan will ensure visitors can continue to visit Hanging Rock while managing impacts to the natural environmental and cultural assets of this iconic place into the future,” Ms Thomas said.
Also stated in the 2018 Strategic Plan is a commitment to “recognise and preserve” the historical associations of activities that have a history greater than 100 years within the precinct.
Mr Mitchell said if the current draft document was to be confirmed, the club, which has a 119-year history at that location, would have no choice but to relocate or merge with another club in the area.
“Everybody acknowledges that if we were to amalgamate [with another club], it would extinguish Hanging Rock Cricket Club as an identity,” he said.
Consultation on the plan will remain open until Monday, February 28.
Details: www.engage.vic.gov.au/hanging-rock-master-plan
