Pavilion delay is slammed

By Callan Date
A LOCAL football club has slammed the City of Casey over the mismanaged construction of a new pavilion.
Narre North Foxes Football Club president Brendan Gray said he was furious after being told earlier this week that a new facility being built at the Narre Warren North reserve would no longer be ready for the start of the 2008 junior football season.
Mr Gray said the latest blow was a kick in the face to more than 400 children who play football at the club.
“This is a total failure to deliver and another inept performance on behalf of the City of Casey,” Mr Gray said.
He said the pavilion, which is set to contain change rooms, a canteen, social rooms and house the club’s honour boards and memorabilia, was originally promised to be finished by the start of 2007.
“We have now been told we will not be in there until around 1 July which is just not good enough.
“We have been struggling for five or six years and nothing has been done.
“It is just not good enough. We are talking about 1000 people being affected by this,” Mr Gray said.
The Foxes were established in 1995 and now have 17 junior teams competing in the Dandenong and District Junior Football League (DDJFL). The club has been using Kalora Park as their home ground.
Casey councillor Rob Wilson was also extremely critical of the way the council had handled the project.
He said there was a litany of errors and incompetence by Casey officers.
“I am equally disgusted as what the footy club is,” Cr Wilson said.
“Our CEO has to take some responsibility in this – it’s his duty to take responsibility in making sure these projects are delivered on time.”
Mr Gray said the club would now push for the council to install other measures until the pavilion was ready for use.
“Basically, we need council to have ground lights installed by the third week of April.
“The kids need shower and wash facilities to change before and after training. We need car park lighting as well.”
Casey’s manager of building services Ron Walker confirmed the pavilion was behind schedule.
“This has been largely attributed to a delay in completing the detailed final design and obtaining building approval due to staff losses of the project management company during this process,” he said.
“Council’s building services department is addressing the issue by working with the appointed builder and looking at ways of potentially bringing the project completion time forward.
“However, if required, council’s practice is to provide temporary accommodation to ensure the club is able to make full use of the new oval for both training and match purposes,” Mr Walker said.