Cash promised for Scammell Reserve pavilion in Oakleigh South

A PROMISE of $500,000 to upgrade the pavilion at Scammell Reserve puts the spotlight on Monash Council to come to the party.

Scammell Reserve upgrade

MONASH Council is under pressure to lock in upgrades at Scammell Reserve after the Liberal Party pledged $500,000 towards the project if re-elected.

But the council has warned it would not be able to proceed with all three of the Government’s sporting facility promises at the same time, including Scammell Reserve, the Waverley Gymnastics Centre and the Waverley Hockey Club.

The 27-year-old pavilion and grounds in Oakleigh South are used by the Oakleigh Cricket Club and the Oakleigh Amateur and Oakleigh Dragons Junior football clubs with more than 1000 members combined.

The $1.2 million upgrade was overlooked in the 2014-15 council budget, but councillors voted to prioritise the project in next year’s budget to allow work to begin in 2015/16.

Waverley Leader reported in May that Labor candidate for Oakleigh and councillor Stephen Dimopoulos led the charge for the upgrades to be prioritised in the next budget.

But Liberal candidate for Oakleigh and councillor Theo Zographos said his election promise could be key to securing a firm commitment from the council.

“At this point the council has decided to prioritise these upgrades but they haven’t allocated anything,” Cr Zographos said.

Cr Zographos said the clubs had been agitating for a commitment for years.

“I’ve become aware over the last few years that this club was in need of repair, and the boys from the clubs had come to see me and were very unhappy with having had to wait eight or nine years,” Cr Zographos said.

South Oakleigh Cricket Club president Bruce “Gunner” Nicholas said he was “very pleased” with the announcement.

He said members spilt out of the small club rooms during match reports.

“We want to extend the social rooms and have more storage,” Mr Nicholas said.

“Also we’d like to upgrade the grounds and get a tan track and exercise stations so the whole community can use it.”

“We want it to be the most pristine joint in the whole of Monash.”

South Oakleigh Community Sporting Club committee member Patrick Heverin said he had been chipping away at the commitment for nine years.

“It is good we are finally getting some recognition, and that desperately needed upgrades are being acknowledged,” Mr Heverin said.

Mr Heverin said the neighbouring Oakleigh South Girl Guides would also move into the pavilion once upgraded.

Sports Minister Damian Drum said Cr Zographos had spent his whole honey pot on the project.

“He has been given the opportunity to spend $500,000 however he wants, he has elected to spend it all on this facility, on this project, and that is quite special,” Mr Drum said.

Mr Drum said the State Government was keen to work closely with the council to make the most of the commitment.

But Monash Mayor Geoff Lake said the Government had not consulted with the council about any of the three sporting facility announcements.

“So while we welcome these contributions, we can certainly not proceed with all of them at the same time as it would mean a huge rate increase for our community,” Cr Lake said.

“Council will not be raising rates just to pay for Liberal party promises.”

Cr Lake said the council would seek to meet with the Government should they be re-elected to stagger the projects over the next decade.

Cr Lake said whenever the council received external money it did whatever possible to deliver the project.