‘Hands off’: Fight brewing over proposed stadium build on public park

A battle is brewing in Melbourne’s inner west over the future of a “well-loved” public park identified as a “possible” site for a new stadium.

Tensions are high and a battle is brewing in Melbourne’s inner west over the future of a “well-loved” public park.

Maribyrnong Council is set to release a draft masterplan for the future management of McIvor Reserve in Yarraville, which some locals fear will pave the way for part of the park to be bulldozed for an indoor sports facility.

A community consultation process earlier this year collated feedback from more than 1000 residents – revealing half of those surveyed were in support of development and half were opposed.

Opponents say high density developments, such as the proposed 1000 new dwellings adjacent to the park, means green space in the community should be protected at all cost.

In just six days, a petition set up by local resident Miles Parnall-Gilbert has garnered more that 890 signatures calling council to make preservation of open space a top priority and set minimum targets for such.

“We just want to make sure our voices are heard,” he said.

“This proposal was put together in 2018 and a lot has changed since then. Through Covid I think we’ve all realised just how important open space is.

There are other sites available, I just fear this is being seen as the easiest for Council. Once parkland is gone its gone forever.”

Residents opposed to a proposal to build an indoor sports facility at McIvor Reserve say the park holds an important place in the community. Picture: Liam Beatty.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows Maribyrnong has the eighth lowest vegetation cover in urbanised areas across Metropolitan Melbourne.

Melbourne’s western and northwestern municipalities are over represented in this ranking, with eight of the 10 lowest coverage areas as of 2018.

Conversely, more than 970 people have signed a petition in favour of a new stadium at the park set up by Westgate Basketball vice president Sarah Simpson.

She said in just 10 years, the number of youth basketball players had grown exponentially and current infrastructure was insufficient to meet community needs.

“Current users [of the park] are not expected to be detrimentally impacted by the plan and the new stadium would make McIvor Reserve one of the pre-eminent sporting precincts in all of Melbourne,” Ms Simpson said.

At the council’s monthly meeting last week, council chief executive Celia Haddock said no determination had been made on the stadium’s design or location.

“I again reiterate that no decision has been made on McIvor Reserve. Council is simply investigating it as an option,” she said.

Maribyrnong City say they've received hundreds of letters, emails and calls from residents over the McIvor Reserve Masterplan and have sought to convince residents their feedback will be listened to.

No funding has been allocated to the construction of an indoor sports facility, however Maribyrnong’s Indoor Sports Strategy identifies a need for up to 12 additional courts to meet demand over the next two decades.