Clarence Council wants parklands excluded from AFL high performance centre plans
Clarence councillors want to “save” Charles Hand Park from being used for the AFL High Performance Centre. Here’s the extra plan they’re suggesting.
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Clarence councillors want to “save” Charles Hand Park from being used for the AFL High Performance Centre, so that the facility only uses space at the former Rosny Golf Course.
On Monday, Cr Tony Mulder suggested the council submit an additional proposal for the AFL high performance centre, that it be located entirely on the former Rosny Golf Course, and exclude the use of Charles Hand Park.
“It’s not surprising the community is alarmed at the loss of parkland and so it should be,” Mr Mulder said.
“The fact there was no information about which parts of the parkland, which parts were going to be used for what, where buildings and ovals and other facilities were to be sited, has led to the situation where the community has assumed we’re going to bulldoze the lot of it.
“The AFL has never asked for Charles Hand Park and from my understanding, it’s not even their preferred option.”
The council has previously supported the centre being built across both sites.
Cr Allison Ritchie said the old golfing green had never been used as public parklands.
“For over 100 years it was a golf course, before that it was an extensive farming area, it’s never been a parkland,” she said.
“It unfortunately has conjured up views in the community about people who probably don’t even go there about what it is were doing.
“Charles Hand Park is different, it does have a different status and I’d always had the position if we could eliminate or minimise the position on that, that would be a great thing
“However I don’t want to find us in the position where we’re settling for 100 per cent of nothing down the track.”
Other councillors said it was the golf course which should not be used for the facility.
“I don’t think that some training grounds for the AFL even begins to compare to the value of those parklands,” Cr Jade Darko said.
“It’s my view that we must not allow either of those parklands to be seized by this private company and that public land should remain for public use.
“I urge councillors to think of the parklands and what they could be.”
Mr Mulder’s motion passed 7-5.
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