Hosken Reserve: Pascoe Vale Football Club and community group in planning fight

Community at war: Police called in over alleged ramming as debate over Hosken Reserve escalates between rival groups.

NPL soccer: Pascoe Vale v Northcote City at Hosken reserve, North Coburg. Pascoe Vale #8 Joseph Youssef scores at Hosken reserve. Picture:AAP/ Chris Eastman

A spat between rival community groups over a popular parkland has become so heated and racially charged police have been called in to investigate an alleged ramming.

The planned redevelopment of Hosken Reserve in Coburg North has got two local tribes waging a war with accusations of threats, racism and vandalism being levelled at opposing sides

At the heart of the matter is the plan to install a fenced synthetic training pitch on the reserve’s rectangular field, along with other upgrades to the sports facilities.

But angry residents felt that they had not been consulted.

A Change.org petition against the redevelopment, which has attracted more than 3000 signatures, accuses the council of waiting until the caretaker period prior to last October’s election before announcing the project.

The $500,000 slated for the project was withdrawn in November, following the revelation the application had misrepresented local support.

Many locals said they were concerned about the environmental impact of installing a synthetic field, as well as the urban heat effect the field would generate. They also claimed the redevelopment would lock residents, who also use the reserve as a local park, out of most of the grounds. Local

The Change.org petition accuses the council of only consulting sports groups and the Pascoe Vale Football Club, which uses the reserve as one of its home grounds.

Pascoe Vale committee member Mark Cometti said the club had become a magnet for abuse from opponents of the development.

“[It was] quite abusive and racist towards the club, targeting the club, targeting the children, filming them training, sending their dogs out to attack soccer balls, became very nasty,” he said.

Mr Cometti also said a car had been deliberately rammed into the club’s pavilion, damaging the building.

Tatiana Stephens, who has organised petitions against the redevelopment, said she “very saddened and distressed” the club had been attacked.

“I don’t want to buy into this crap … of these warring factions,’’ she said “I think it’s nonsense and I think it’s a red herring and I just think it’s not productive. But also, you know, it is the reality that people within our campaign have also been on the receiving end of inappropriate bullying and abusive behaviour on social media and in real life.”

Ms Stephens described an incident in April where a female resident was walking alone with her dog and was intimidated and verbally abused for attempting to use the reserve by a group of men who identified themselves members of the football club.

Ms Stephens said certain figures in the council and the community are trying to fan resentment for their own benefit.

A a meeting on Wednesday, councillors voted on a compromise solution, which will retain the north oval and east field as natural grass and will install a hybrid surface, a combination of natural turf and synthetic, on the south field.

Mayor Carli Hannan said: “It was not acceptable to be saying things that are defamatory, racist, sexist, particularly about young children, local schools and local sporting clubs.”