THE poor state of ovals at Bonbeach Reserve has forced Kingston Council to apologise to the Bonbeach Football Netball and Bonbeach YCW Junior Football clubs.
The ovals – surrounding the modernised clubrooms – host games for hundreds of children each week.
The apology followed a warning letter from the clubs saying the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League had declared the reserve “unsafe” for football, and that it would not schedule senior games there “until the playing surface has been brought up to the required standard”.
Kingston Council CEO John Nevins said council had been working with the clubs to urgently fix the turf problems.
“We greatly appreciate the positive role that sports clubs play in the local community and the council is keen to support them in their good work promoting an active, connected and healthy community.”
Mr Nevins said council officers had held talks with the clubs over the past week. “We have agreed to undertake expansive top dressing of the ground with soil to level out lower areas, over-sow top-dressed areas to get grass coverage [there] for the football season, and undertake repairs to the irrigation system to ensure water supply.”
He said council would “continue to meet with the clubs throughout the season to ensure the playing surface remains in good condition”.
The two clubs had earlier expressed serious concerns about the condition of two of the three ovals during a meeting with council and the MPNFL.
The MPNFL wrote to council in February stating the ground was unsuitable for use, saying council made a “token effort” to fill holes with sand on Oval 4 before recent games but had not committed to a timeline for repair works on Oval 1. Even with the footy season fast approaching, the league did not receive a response for four weeks, and no remedial work was done until last week.
The league declared uneven areas around the cricket pitch on Oval 1 “potentially dangerous”, while similar problems were found around the northern end of Oval 4, used by up to 200 junior players each weekend.
The initial lack of response had disappointed the clubs and the league.
“We just want it fixed so it’s a safe ground,’’ Bonbeach Football Netball Club president Reece Murphy said. “We are worried that games of community football may be forfeited as a result in coming weeks.”
The condition of Oval 4 remains a problem, with BYCW president Brian Lockett asking council to provide a back-up venue should it also be deemed unsafe for play.
The reserve’s first game is scheduled for Oval 1 on Saturday 30 May to coincide with the opening of the renovated clubrooms. “However, unless immediate remedial work is performed, this will not be possible,” the league said.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 13 May 2015
