
24 July 2009
An open day at Victoria Park on Sunday 16 August will usher in a new era for the asset as a community park, Yarra City Council said today.
Mayor Cr Amanda Stone encouraged local residents to attend the open day, which will kick off at 10am.
She said that on the day, Council would be opening three gates to the park – those in Lulie Street, Abbot Street and at the corner of Bath St/Turner St – which would remain open from then onwards.
“With the opening of these gates, the residents of Abbotsford will finally have access to this much-loved piece of wide open space,” Cr Stone said.
“We are pushing ahead with the works needed to make Victoria Park a place where residents can walk their dogs, cycle, jog, play sport and have picnics and barbeques.”
Cr Stone said Council would be bringing down the first of a series of walls – corrugated tin fencing along Trenerry Crescent – before the end of 2009.
In this financial year, Council has allocated $1.85 million towards works at the ground, which will include the removal of walls along Lulie Street, reshaping the mound at One Eyed Hill (so people could more easily walk in and out of the ground) and establishing three new entrances at the Trenerry Crescent/Bath Street end.
The demolition of the Rush Stand will begin in late 2009. Gradual removal of the Turner Street wall and the remainder of the Rush Stand terraces will take place in 2010/2011 or earlier, if possible.
Cr Stone said Council was pleased to have resolved the short term future sporting use of the oval earlier this week, after calling for expressions of interest earlier this year.
Council gave permission for the Collingwood Football Club to play nine games at the grounds in each of the next three years, and for the local Fitzroy Stars to play at least nine games in each of the next three years.
“Many people will be happy to see Collingwood return to Victoria Park, and it is good that we have been able to accommodate that desire within the overall plan that it be primarily a community park,” Cr Stone said.
“Collingwood’s return should be beneficial for our wider community as the club has promised to invest in social justice programs to help disadvantaged local young people,” she said.
“Our decision also provides certainty to the Fitzroy Stars, which has been playing temporarily on Victoria Park this year.
“This predominately Aboriginal club has a strong mission, with its off-the-field activities focused on the welfare of young people and building bridges between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.”
The VFL Umpires will continue to be the key tenant, while the AFL coaching squad, TAC development squads and U/16 & U/17 AFL Academy Games will also continue to use the oval.
Cr Stone said Council had also resolved that a vision for the integrated use of the whole site be developed by Council in conjunction with the community and that the future uses of the Park’s empty social clubrooms also be investigated, with a report on the options to be considered at a Council meeting in March 2010.
Further informationFor media enquiries about this issue, please contact:
Ainslie Gowan
Coordinator Communications and Public Relations
Richmond Town Hall
333 Bridge Road Richmond
Telephone 9205 5177, 0400 933 700
Email ainslie.gowan@yarracity.vic.gov.au
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