Andrews Government squashes Melbourne Football Club Yarra Park redevelopment plan

MELBOURNE’S ambitious plan to develop the MCG’s Yarra Park training ground appears dead in the water after it was shot down today by the newly-elected Andrews Government.

New Melbourne CEO Gary Pert has big plans for the Yarra Park. Picture: Tim Carrafa

THE Andrews Government has shot down Melbourne’s ambitious Yarra Park training ground plan just hours after club bosses declared it a live option.

Minister for Sport, Tourism and Major Events Martin Pakula yesterday said the government had not shifted from its pre-election promise to oppose the proposal.

“There has been no change in the government’s position regarding Yarra Park,” Pakula told the Herald Sun.

Demons president Glenn Bartlett and new chief executive Gary Pert told members at the club’s annual general meeting on Monday night that a working group had been set up to “explore all the available avenues and communicate with the different stakeholders”.

PERT: DEES TO ‘GO OUR OWN WAY’

AMBITIOUS: MELBOURNE’S PLAN FOR YARRA PARK

New Melbourne CEO Gary Pert has big plans for the Yarra Park. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Pert also outlined his vision for Yarra Park in an interview with the Sunday Herald Sun.

Melbourne’s bold proposal includes a six-storey building with offices, a gym and medical facilities, built on top of rail tracks next to Jolimont Station.

A parcel of parkland in the northeastern corner of the MCG precinct would be reconfigured for the training oval.

“It’s all about enhancing that area for the community and a proposed club, over the railway lines, so there would be no fencing or no structures in Yarra Park,” Bartlett said.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’re consulting with a number of different groups, including East Melbourne residents’ group.

“We’ve been listening and talking to a number of different people.”

The Melbourne Cricket Club is responsible for the management of Yarra Park but has not said whether it supports or opposes the Demons plan.

Pert said an appealing factor behind the proposal was that locals would have access to the training ground when Melbourne was not training.

“Quite a few of the community groups and individuals are really excited by the possibilities,” Pert said.

“What they’re saying is that this is an area where there’s no flat ground.

“The oval is literally going to be a flat section of ground. Quite a few people are saying this creates opportunity so we want to chat to you and understand everything because that makes it more usable for a whole lot of people.”