Clubs have long wait for ovals

By Rebecca Fraser
PLANS to build two new sporting ovals in Narre Warren North have stalled.
The two ovals would be home to both the Narre North Foxes Junior Football Club and the Narre Warren North Cricket Club and were set for completion by the 2007 sporting season.
The development followed a long and trying battle by the two clubs to secure new facilities to accommodate their growing members.
At present the clubs are based at Kalora Park Reserve in Narre Warren North or using temporary facilities provided by Casey Council.
However, this week Casey councillor Mick Morland said the council’s purchase of the land on which the two ovals will be built was taking longer then expected.
Cr Morland said the council was still waiting for the settlement to be approved for the sale of land for the first oval and negotiations were still continuing to buy land for the second playing field.
He said it appeared doubtful the first oval would be ready by the 2007 football season, as time was quickly running out to get the seeds planted for the new ground.
But Cr Morland remained adamant the council would not be reneging on its promise to build the two ovals.
He said he remained hopeful the sporting field would be ready for the 200708 cricket season and 2008 football season.
“It (the settlement) is just taking longer than we expected but if it takes another two or three months we will miss the growing season,” he said.
“We cannot plant the grass in June as it will all wash away.
“But we are not reneging on the deal and I will make sure that we never renege on this.”
Narre Warren North Foxes president Sean Delaney questioned why the council had been so slow in the planning process.
“Why did they not have the amount of land right six months ago?” he said.
“They said the project was right to go and clearly it was not.”
He also questioned why Four Oaks Ward councillor Paul Richardson, whose ward covers Narre Warren North, was not helping address the suburb’s shortage of sporting facilities.
“I would like to think that he would get on board and help with the issues that really do exist in Narre Warren North instead of focusing on other matters,” Mr Delaney said.