Dodgy soil forces Marion Council to scrap $5m soccer complex at O’Halloran Hill

More soccer pitches may be built at the Cove Sports and Community Club after dodgy soil forced Marion Council to abandon a plan for a $5 million soccer hub at O’Halloran Hill.

Marion Council has had to shelve the planned $5 million soccer complex at O’Halloran Hill.

Dodgy soil has forced Marion Council to shelve a planned $5 million soccer complex at O’Halloran Hill.

Instead the council is now considering building extra soccer pitches at the Cove Sports and Community Club in Hallett Cove.

This would require shifting the existing football and cricket clubs to nearby Capella Reserve, where a new clubhouse and additional parking could be built.

Mayor Kris Hanna said the plan to build a soccer hub on Majors Rd had to be scrapped as it was not “financially viable” to build on the “highly reactive” clay soil.

“(The soil) would be prone to cracking unless there was some sort of flat platform established underneath the soccer pitches,” he said.

“There are literally hundreds of people who play soccer in the southern part of the Marion council area, so we’ve spent the last four years trying to figure out how we can deliver more soccer pitches.

“Because soccer is not going to work out at Majors Rd as previously planned, (the) council will shortly undertake a feasibility study into the optimum locations for all sports currently played at the Cove Sports facility.

“We will consider the views of sports clubs and the community before any decision is made.”

The Cove FC chairman Dave Brain said a potential soccer hub at the Cove Sports and Community Club was a “fantastic opportunity”.

Extra pitches would “unite the club under one roof” as currently players were spread between the community club, Capella Reserve and Club Marion.

“Soccer is the biggest global sport in the world and we’ve got to a point where we can’t grow any more,” Mr Brain said.

“This will grow my soccer club and open up avenues for the community to be welcomed in.

“It will also massively improve our girls’ links with the netball club (at the Cove Sport and Community Club).”