By Cam Lucadou-Wells
What a difference a year makes.
After intense lobbying, the dated Jack Thomas Reserve pavilion in Narre Warren North has gone from “disappeared” to No.1 priority on Casey Council’s wish list for the state’s Growing Suburbs Fund.
In a report on 18 July, the council stated it planned to build a $3.56 million district-level soccer pavilion in 2018-’19 with the help of state funding.
The project heads a list of seven submitted by Casey to the state’s $50-million, two-year Growing Suburbs Fund program.
The reserve’s tenant Berwick City, which is Casey’s largest soccer club, had long suffered in a drab, unheated and cramped 1980s-style pavilion.
It had insufficient toilets and no separate change rooms for male and female teams.
A delighted Berwick City president Joe Di Iorio said the council was also set to upgrade drainage at two of its routinely flooded pitches.
“The club is working very closely with council officers and local councillors, and we’re seeing some positive things about to happen,” Mr Di Iorio said.
Casey council listed the pavilion on its 2014-’15 capital works program, but the works had “disappeared” from the list in 2016.
At the time, its sport and leisure acting manager Terry Jenvey said Jack Thomas Reserve – as well as the club’s access to Sweeney Reserve – met the “functional needs of the club’s members”.
Councillor Rosalie Crestani said she and her then ward councillor Rafal Kaplon had been “smashed” by the wave of lobbying from the 800-plus member club.
“I’m really encouraged that the Jack Thomas Reserve is getting such focus.
“I’ve seen a turn-around within the council on sport facilities in the north (of Casey).
“There’s a dire need – we have 13 clubs with nearly 2500 soccer players (in Casey).”
According to Football Federation Victoria, facilities can’t match the surging number of players across the state. In 2016, 11,000 extra players were taking part in outdoor soccer in Victoria.
“We can’t just look at history but at the current usage. Soccer is the fastest growing sport in Victoria,” Cr Crestani said.
“There’s a large focus on sport among our multi-ethnic communities. It is quite a universal sport.”
Cr Crestani said she was encouraged by talk of greater access by clubs to school playing fields.
Jack Thomas Reserve also benefited from the scuttling of Casey’s compulsory acquisition of John Foy’s property in Narre Warren North for a three-pitch soccer facility, she said.
Casey was also negotiating with Parks Victoria to use further land at Syd Pargeter Reserve for soccer fields.
