By Charlene Macaulay
A football club’s request for portable buildings until its home ground is revamped divided councillors debating Wyndham’s budget.
Voting on the council’s 2017-18 budget, Cr Kim McAliney called for the immediate addition of portable buildings to provide social space, change rooms, public toilets and storage at Sanctuary Lakes Football Club’s Featherbrook Reserve in Point Cook, to complement the existing sports pavilion until a planned extension in 2018-19 is complete.
“While I appreciate the club’s facilities will be extended in 2018-19 to provide [this], I believe, given the current growth of the club, they cannot wait for the construction. The current facility is not conducive to attract families and it limits the club’s ability to thrive,” she said.
Cr Tony Hooper added that, due to space constraints, female teams are limited as to when and where they play.
The motion was narrowly approved, with five votes to four. Cr John Gibbons abstained. Cr Heather Marcus was an apology for the meeting.
Immediately after the vote, Cr Peter Maynard – who had voted against the motion – called for portable buildings to be supplied to other sporting clubs facing the same problem. This motion was lost, five votes to five, with mayor Henry Barlow casting the deciding vote.
Cr Maynard, who holds the council’s sport development portfolio, said while he was not against providing sport facilities, Sanctuary Lakes Football Club was just one of a number of clubs that needed additional space.
“There are at least 11 other clubs in the same boat … what goes in for Sanctuary Lakes [Football Club should] be put in for those 11 clubs as well.”
Cr Mia Shaw, who also voted against the motion, added that the council’s sporting investment across the board was of a high standard, while other critical Wyndham issues – such as children on the kindergarten waiting list and the need for women’s shelters and a public paediatrician – lacked funding.
Cr McAliney said she made the recommendation based on the submission from the club, adding that other clubs had not lodged submissions asking for assistance.
