Stonnington Council approves Percy Treyvaud Memorial Park stadium

Protesters have vowed to keep fighting to save Percy Treyvaud Memorial Park after Stonnington Council approved a controversial $44.6 million stadium for the site. But netballers have applauded the decision.

Stonnington Ratepayers believe stadium should not be built in the Percy Treyvaud Memorial Park. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

The controversial multimillion-dollar stadium for Percy Treyvaud Memorial Park has been given the go-ahead by Stonnington Council but protesters say their fight isn’t over.

Last night the decision on the $44.6 million stadium masterplan was finally decided, three years after the site was first earmarked for the project. Councillors voted 5 to 4 in favour.

But Malvern East locals won’t go down without a fight, Dean Hurlston, president of Stonnington Ratepayers said.

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“The Stonnington Ratepayers will take every exhaustive legal step without hesitation to stop this,” he said.

Mr Hurlston said the ratepayers fully supported more courts for netballers but just not in the park residents adored.

“We’re incredibly disappointed council has politicised the stadium, pitting netballers and ratepayers and residents against each other,” he said.

“It’s just more of the same from a council that spends big on wasteful projects.”

But those in favour of the stadium were feeling relieved, Kate Campbell from the Prahran Netball Association said.

Prahran netball players Nellie, Clover, Willow, Imogen and Beatrix created a new petition in support of stadium build. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“It’s been a really long process and I think everyone is relieved to get to a decision point,” she said.

“We absolutely understand resident’s concerns but we live in a suburb and development is a reality for all of us and we have to invest in development that benefits our community.”

Ms Campbell said the win was a win for all sporting groups in the area, not just the netballers.

“[The Masterplan] is so much better now than it was originally. We never wanted to turf out the bowls club so we’re glad the council listened to our feedback on that,” she said.

“All we did was ask for more courts and the location of that was up to council.”

The stadium will include four new indoor sports courts for netball and basketball, two new seven rink synthetic bowling greens with floodlighting for Chadstone Bowls Club, seven new tennis courts for the Chadstone Tennis Club, lacrosse fields for Chadstone Lacrosse club and cricket ovals for East Malvern Tooronga Cricket Club with male and female change rooms and social spaces for all sports.

Many locals have protested the stadium build since it was announced Percy Treyvaud was the preferred location in 2016. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

City of Stonnington Mayor, Cr Steve Stefanopoulos, said a growing population in Stonnington created a need for more sporting facilities, and the stadium was an investment in community sport.

“The budget of over $40m responds to feedback to incorporate additional underground parking onsite, provide new facilities for sporting clubs who call Percy Treyvaud Memorial Park home, build four high quality indoor sports courts and improvements throughout the park for casual users,” he said.

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