OPINION: The cricket decision has to be made now
DUAL announcements about cricket at Kendalls Flat and Salter Oval left me confused on Tuesday.
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DUAL announcements about cricket at Kendalls Flat and Salter Oval left me confused on Tuesday.
Not confused in relation to support: Bundaberg Regional Council offering $10,000 on top of the $5000 for an upgrade to facilities at Salter Oval for the Bundaberg Cricket Association is fantastic.
So too is the $10,000 to look at upgrading Kendalls Flat to allow cricket and Aussie Rules to play.
But here is where the confusion is for me.
The BCA and the council are currently investing in improvements to making facilities better at Salter Oval to play cricket.
And at the same time the council is planning on looking at moving all cricket to Kendalls Flat, including seniors and juniors.
Currently, all seniors are played at Salter Oval with most juniors played at Kendalls Flat with a handful of matches at Salter Oval from time to time.
According to the proposal that was consulted at Tuesday's meeting by the council, it states that the plan is to 'recommend as a high priority, the development of a masterplan for Kendall Flat, considering the possibility of relocating senior cricket to the facility and sharing of facilities between Cricket and AFL.'
You can't invest in one area and then potentially in five years, with an upgrade to another, leave it left to rot with cricket at another venue.
It isn't a wise use of taxpayers' money.
So now the time has come to make a decision.
If you are going to make the move, get the move lined up and ready to go, before full investment is made at Salter Oval.
If you are going to leave the situation the way it is, playing seniors at Salter Oval and juniors at Kendalls Flat, then make it clear as part of the plan.
It could save hassles down the road and, importantly, taxpayers' money.
From my end, staying at Salter Oval is vital for the future of cricket.
It allows the BCA to host major events and provides the association with two ovals just in case something happens to Kendalls Flat, which it has happened in the past with flooding.
It also keeps history at the venue. Salter Oval has been a venue used for cricket for decades and it should continue to be like that for generations to come.
Originally published as OPINION: The cricket decision has to be made now
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