Western Bulldogs will reopen popular playspace after complaints from angry parents
Furious mums and dads hit out at the Western Bulldogs after the footy club closed a beloved playground in Footscray without warning. But the club, in explaining why the gates were shut, has good news for families.
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A beloved playground in Footscray will reopen following backlash from angry parents and kids.
Maintenance of Spurling Reserve playground is the responsibility of the Western Bulldogs Football Club, which shut it down without explanation a few weeks ago.
But a petition signed by 414 people has swayed the club to rethink the closure and it has promised to let the public back in coming weeks.
Paige Stokes said she started the petition because the park was “a public space used by the community”.
Kelly Powell, who signed the petition, wrote that her kids “absolutely loved” the playground.
While Natalie Lumsden, who also called for the park to be reopened, wrote that the area had “very little” public open space for people to connect and kids to play.
“The Bulldogs should be ashamed of themselves for letting the park go to ruin,” she wrote.
After being contacted by the Leader, the Western Bulldogs issued a statement that they had recently uncovered some concerns with the state of some of the equipment at the playground.
They decided to close the park temporarily in the interests of public safety, and are performing the necessary maintenance to reopen the park.
The club acknowledged the inconvenience the closure may have caused for families, but said ensuring the safety of the community was their primary concern.
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Maribyrnong infrastructure services director Steve Hamilton said the playground was on land owned by the State Government and maintenance was the responsibility of the Western Bulldogs.
“We are continuing discussions with Western Bulldogs regarding maintenance of the playground and will provide support where we can to ensure it is reopened as soon as possible,” he said.