Clubs lead push for female change rooms, toilets at Mackie Road Reserve
Girls at a popular Bentleigh East sports ground have to change in cars, public toilets or the boys’ rooms beside “a smelly urinal” as calls to upgrade “terrible” pavilion grow louder.
Inner South
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Female athletes at a popular sports ground are forced to change in cars, public toilets or grotty boys’ locker rooms, sparking calls for the council to upgrade the “woeful” facilities.
Mackie Road Reserve is used by Glen Eira Football Club — the second biggest soccer club in the state — and Mackie Cricket Club, with more than 60 girls playing there each week.
But the Bentleigh East ground has no female change rooms and just one women’s toilet, which also doubles as the only disabled toilet on site.
Mackie Cricket Club juniors co-ordinator Ryan Fishlock told the Leader the girls’ were forced to queue to change in the stall.
“There is always a queue because it’s not just for players, that’s the only female toilet for mums, grandmas, sisters, aunts to use when they come to watch (the games),” he said.
He said the club, which is fielding its first junior female team this year, had “well and truly outgrown” the facilities.
“We’ve worked hard to get where we’ve got and build up the club and field a junior girls’ team,” he said.
“But it’s hard to be an all-inclusive club when the facilities are so uninviting.”
Glen Eira Council has plans to upgrade facilities at the ground but the start date for the project — and what will be included in the revamp — is unclear.
Mackie Road Reserve is ranked 11th out of 20 on the council’s list of scheduled pavilion upgrades.
Cr Jim McGee said he was “embarrassed” the council was pumping millions of dollars into projects across the municipality but had “totally forgotten” about residents in Bentleigh East.
“I’m embarrassed to be a councillor when I have to try and justify why we think this is OK, it’s shameful,” he said.
Glen Eira FC general manager Stewart Howell said the shoddy facilities were holding women back from the sport.
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“Girls have to come in their uniform and leave muddy and sweaty and change in the car or sit on towels on the way home,” he said.
“There’s no dedicated female rooms so the only other option is to put them in the boys’ rooms where there’s a smelly urinal and it’s terrible.
“For 16 to 18 year olds it’s a scary place, completely uninviting and off-putting.”
Glen Eira Council has been contacted for comment.