Maribyrnong City Council adopt McIvor Reserve masterplan

Yarraville’s basketballers have won out — for now — over a community group over the building of a new stadium. But the fight is not over.

An artisit’s impression of the McIvor Reserve masterplan project. Picture: Supplied

The long-standing battle over prized Yarraville Park land which has divided residents is set to continue after a rare rescission motion was submitted to Maribyrnong City Council.

The controversial McIvor Reserve masterplan was voted on earlier this week in front of a packed room at the Braybrook Community Centre as tempers threatened to spill over with frequent interjections from the gallery.

While the big-ticket item is the six-court indoor stadium on the northern side of McIvor Reserve, the plan also included upgrades for other sporting facilities — including hockey and baseball — and a redesigned off-lead dog area as part of 37 changes.

Friends of McIvor Reserve had concerns about the abolition of green space and preferred the stadium to be built on a ‘brown site’ while the CFMEU has placed the site on a ‘green ban’.

Friends of McIvor Reserve do not want an indoor stadium built at the parkland. Picture: Supplied

The stadium has been supported by the Westgate Basketball Association with Oklahoma Thunder superstar Josh Giddey’s dad, Warrick backing the project.

Cr Bernadette Thomas had recommended an alternative plan placing a smaller stadium on the southern side as a compromise between the basketballers and Friends of McIvor Reserve.

“(The stadium’s) placement on the only piece of non-structured space on-site is not acceptable to many in the community and an alternative on-site or off-site must be found,” she said.

“This project has the ability to cast people in the community into winners and losers and I don’t want anyone to go away thinking they’re one or the other.”

When the masterplan was released to the public recently, the only option provided was with a stadium on the northern side.

“I’m disappointed in a council that has offered so little compromise. The other site option in the draft masterplan, for example, was far less damaging to public parkland, trees and residents, and yet it was never even offered to the community as a viable option,” Friends of McIvor spokesperson Miles Parnall-Gilbert said.

The vote split the councillors to three-all with Mayor Sarah Carter using her position as chairperson to break the deadlock and support the original motion to adopt the masterplan.

Cr Jorquera has submitted a rescission notice, highlighting the absence of Cr Simon Crawford — who is out of the country — as a reason for it. His notice has been supported by Cr Thomas and Cr Crawford and will be presented at the April 18 meeting.

Cr Carter confirmed that Cr Crawford — from Yarraville Ward — had not lodged a request to delay the meeting.

“It’s is regrettable that Yarraville’s other representative, Councillor Crawford was away and precluded from voting. It’s a travesty for democracy, especially given the cost and controversy of this proposal,” Mr Parnall-Gilbert said.

Cr Carter dismissed the Friends of McIvor Reserve’s wish to have the stadium built on the old Footscray Hospital site as “not realistic”.

“To suggest that a brown site could only be considered is quite simply not realistic for a multitude of reasons,” she said.

“In short, there are no suitable brown sites available at this time, there exists a cost impediment that is exacerbated in a rate-capping environment that is grossly out of step with inflation and there are safety considerations when nominating young people play sport in industrial areas.”

Cr Carter used part of her speech in favour of the motion to call out the tactics that “bordered on bullying and harassment” from a “small number of residents” in recent weeks.

“I’ve been pulled aside on the street in Yarraville by a number of residents who support the sports stadium but feared they couldn’t publicly do so for fear of the backlash they would receive,” she said.

“The McIvor Reserve masterplan is needed by our community and our community deserves it.”

The approval allows council to pursue state and federal funding and progress the site planning, design and due diligence for the project.

“We certainly don’t view this as the end of the discussion. The project is a long way from complete and there are still significant hurdles the council needs to negotiate,” Mr Parnall-Gilbert said.