Port Adelaide Football Club gets council approval for $30m plan to redevelop Alberton Oval
Port Adelaide Football Club has defied angry local residents to score approval for its new headquarters – but there will be a price to pay.
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Port Adelaide Football Club last night received the final tick of approval from council for its $30m plan to redevelop Alberton Oval – with the club now just needing to source funding for the project.
But the Power will not get a 42-year lease on the portion of land required to extend its administration and training facility for $1 a year, with Port Adelaide-Enfield Council voting for the club to work out a “bespoke lease arrangement” for the area.
The Power will also return to council land owned by the club at EP Nazar Reserve in Ethelton.
A majority of councillors voted to adopt a community land management plan for the Alberton Oval area, and then give the Power a lease over a small area of public land to extend its training and administration facility.
The Power planned to expand its high-performance facilities in the Allan Scott headquarters, creating two basketball courts for West Adelaide Bearcats junior teams to use and adding a soccer pitch to serve as an additional training space for Port players, as well as hosting primary school teams.
The proposal has divided the community, with nearby residents angry at the council and club over how the redevelopment has been handled.
In a deputation to council, resident Darren Hill said locals weren’t against change but they felt they weren’t being listened to by the club.
“We are not anti-development but we are against a development that doesn’t fit in the community, we want a balanced approached where stakeholders can have a say,” he said.
Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson said the development would open up Alberton Oval more for the community and was key in the club’s impending AFLW team.
“We will make it into the premier AFLW venue and match day experience,” he said.
Councillors Joost den Hartog and Barbara Clayton declared conflicts of interest and had to leave the chambers.
Councillors Steve Vines, Kat Mitchell voted against the community land management plan and they were joined by Ms Tulloch in voting against the lease.
But the majority of councillors voted in favour of both, with the lease subject to amendments by councillors Mark Basham and Matt Osborn.
Mr Osborn said he understood why residents were against the “peppercorn” $1 lease.
“What the club has requested from us is more in line with a club in division seven, the Greenacre Dragons who have those sort of lease arrangements and those sort of community clubs that have those peppercorn lease arrangements,” he said.
“From a community perspective I highly understand why such an arrangement is outrageous and unacceptable.
“I think it is more appropriate that we have that more detailed discussion and we extract from the club some more commitments around community access and from that arrive on a decision on what the lease should be.”
Mr Basham proposed the Power return the land it owns at EP Nazar reserve.