August 15, 2009 page 1 and 2 - Home - Karen Sweeney

www.spec.com.au HAMILTON SPECTATOR Saturday August 15 2009 3
Hockey turf could be a winner
ALEXANDRA WEAVER
LOCAL hockey players
could be one step closer
to a synthetic turf ground
after Southern Grampians
Shire Council moved to
seek funding for Pedrina
Park upgrades.
A lively and wide-ranging
meeting on Wednesday saw
the council consider three
major projects for a State
Government major facilities
funding application.
VicUrban lost out after
a recommendation that
the council support an
all-abilities playground
near the new Lakes
Edge development was
scrapped.
Improved tennis and
hockey facilities were the
other two projects up for
funding discussion with
feasibility studies on the
two sports now ready for
public comment.
Cr Katrina Rainsford
moved an alternative
recommendation that a
funding application for a
synthetic hockey turf pitch
at Pedrina Park be prepared
in conjunction with the
Glenelg Regional Hockey
Association.
She suggested the hockey
feasibility study be released
for public comment on
Thursday, rather than
Saturday, and asked that
a two-week application
extension be sought from
Sport and Recreation
Victoria.
Mr Price said the extension
would be sought but the
council should still try to
meet the August 17 deadline
due to tight competition for
grants.
A new synthetic pitch is
expected to cost about $1
million, and was identified
by feasibility study
consultants @leisure as
crucial to the success of
shire hockey.
The council had often
spoken of improvements
to Pedrina Park but hadn’t
yet sought funding, Cr
Rainsford said.
“This is not about
changing where the hockey
fields actually are, it’s
about changing the surface
to what everyone’s playing
on now.”
In discussion before the
all-abilities playground
recommendation was
scrapped, Cr Bruach
Colliton asked director
of shire services Geoff
Price how the Lakes Edge
project had progressed, and
was told three of its 33 first
stage blocks had been sold.
Deputy Mayor Bob Penny
said he was concerned a
new playground in an area
with few residents would
be prone to vandalism.
“Why does the all-abilities
reference have precedence
over hockey or tennis?” he
said.
Cr Don Robertson spoke
against the Cr Rainsford’s
hockey funding motion,
arguing that the council
would still need to find
$600,000 to support a
synthetic pitch beyond
any State Government
contribution.
HOCKEY grounds at Pedrina Park could see synthetic turf installed if funding
comes through.
“There is a clearly
identified need in this shire
for an inclusive recreation
environment. We haven’t
got it, we haven’t provided
it, and we have to look
after these people as well,”
he said.
But Cr Bruach Colliton
said it was time the council
dealt with Pedrina Park’s
shortcomings.
“This means that we can
really expand on a lot of
great sporting activities
in the shire. It’s sad that
we’ve got to choose it
at this time over the allabilities
playground, which
I think in some ways could
be more overdue.
“But putting it out there at
this time, with such slow
Teen hoon grounded
From: PAGE 1
“There’s no reason, it was just for fun
out the road,” he said.
“I went past a cop at 175kmh and then
just kept driving and they got me about
six km out of Dunkeld.
“I didn’t know they were behind me.”
Mr Nagorcka and a mate started their
joyride in Hensley Park Rd near the
airport and continued until they were
intercepted on the outskirts of Dunkeld.
It’s not the first time Mr Nagorcka’s
speed has been noticed.
“I’ve been in trouble once for speeding
but that was only 27km/h over,” he
said.
“This time I have (learnt my lesson).”
SPORTY
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Tim Wilson Matt Brown
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Already the teen has become a legend
among his mates; and was impressed
when told his behaviour would make
the paper.
“Is this really going in the paper?” he
asked.
“Can it be near the front? Can it be
front page?”
Ldng Sen Const Jones said he didn’t
know when the message would get
through to local hoons.
“I really have to wonder, and I’ve got
about 39 shifts left until I retire, why the
message is not getting through.
“All young men have the devil in them
a bit, I did, but you only get killed
once.”
progress, is probably the
wrong decision.”
Cr Rainsford drew her
colleagues’ attention to
$60,000 allocated in the
council’s 2009-10 Budget
for the playground.
“VicUrban can still
contribute their $150,000
to get it started, and we can
contribute more next year
to finish it off,” she said.
Councillors Rentsch and
Robertson registered the
only two votes against the
revised recommendation.
Cr Paul Battista also
asked why shire pools,
particularly Hamilton’s
Hughan Park, were not in
line for a grant application.
“I was pretty keen, being
that Hughan Park missed
out on $200,000 from the
State Government, that we
would actually get into the
second round of the Better
Pools program,” he said.
“Unfortunately, because
of the timing of the Aquatic
Strategy, the timing’s
getting to the point where
our outdoor pools are going
to miss out again.”
Mr Price said the strategy’s
late August release would
leave insufficient time to
seek funding.
Department of Planning
and Community
Development deadlines
for grant applications were
brought forward by six
weeks, compounding the
problem
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