Horse club Croydon Light Harness Club in Eastfield Park to close under Maroondah Council plans

A LONG-STANDING horse club could be headed for the knackery after being turfed out of Croydon South’s Eastfield Park under Maroondah Council’s redevelopment plans

John McGillivary and Kyla Costello at the Croydon Harness Club which is set to be turfed out of Croydon South's Eastfield Park as part of the Council's redevelopment.

A LONG-STANDING horse club could be headed for the knackery after being turfed out of Croydon South’s Eastfield Park under Maroondah Council’s redevelopment plans.

Plans released by the council, which are open to public consultation, show the Croydon Light Harness Club’s headquarters, where it has been based for 60 years, are to be bulldozed and “returned to parkland”.

The council also wants to cover the club’s trotting track and an inner oval with two new floodlit soccer pitches, a second football oval, a skatepark, four cricket nets and an 80-space carpark.

The plans appear to have received the thumbs down from graffiti vandals, who scribbled the words ‘Save Eastfield Park’ on the back of the club’s horse stables on Tuesday.

CLHC committee member John McGillivray was unfazed by the graffiti, saying it was “the best thing that’s ever happened” as it raised awareness of the club’s plight. Mr McGillivray said the club, which has more than 30 members and 20 horses based at the park, were “devastated” by the plans.

“What we’re reading into is that we’re not longer part of the deal,” he said.
“I don’t disagree with the council building new soccer and football facilities, but we do disagree with them throwing us out.
“There has to be other ways to include us and keep us here, we have been here for 60 years and we want to stay.”

The club has begun campaigning to win the support of neighbours and will petition the council over its plans.

In a statement, Mayor Nora Lamont confirmed the council was “working with the Croydon Light Harness Club to identify relocation opportunities”.
“While council understands the concerns of the members of the club, council must also consider the broader needs of the community, and determine what is the best use for this large and very much under-utilised space,” she said.

Cr Lamont said prior consultation had identified “the significant decline of patronage and usage of the Eastfield Park facilities by the Croydon Light Harness Club over recent years”.

Eastfield Cricket Club, South Croydon Junior Football Club and Mountain District Horse & Pony Club also use the park.

The council has two further public consultation sessions planned — including one this Saturday, June 23, at Eastfield Park’s Benson Oval from 1pm.