Annual Report 2011/12 - Melbourne Cricket Club

Geelong Cats players Corey Enright,
Andrew Mackie, Tom Lonergan,
Harry Taylor and Matthew Scarlett
with the 2011 AFL premiership cup.
international centuries. A large Indian
media contingent, and a considerable
portion of the 70,068 crowd on the first
day, had come to witness cricket history.
It was not to be, with Tendulkar scoring
73 and 32 as Australia’s bowlers dominated
India’s star bats to win by 122 runs. It
would start a trend that would continue
throughout the series, as the home side
secured a 4-0 victory.
Not to be forgotten is Ricky Ponting.
The Tasmanian moved into second place
(behind Bradman) on the MCG Test runs list
during the Boxing Day Test with 1338 runs
at 58.17.
The match attendance of 189,347 was
the highest for a Test between the two countries
anywhere in Australia, reflecting the popularity
of the game’s oldest form and the rivalry of the
two teams. It was also the fifth-highest MCG
Test crowd in the last 30 years.
That play was possible at all on Boxing Day,
let alone on time, was remarkable considering
the massive thunderstorm on Christmas Day
and subsequent 40mm of rain absorbed by the
magical MCG outfield.
We commend Cameron Hodgkins and his
team for the quality of the arena and pitch
presented for play, which was validated by
feedback from players, match officials and
Cricket Australia.
Australia also played two 50-over contests
at the MCG, against India and Sri Lanka, as
well as a Twenty20 international clash with
India which attracted 62,275 fans.
OPERATING RESULTS
The club recorded a net profit for the financial
year ending March 31, 2012 of $24.575
million, which was strongly impacted by
government grants of $14 million for the
Great Southern Stand and Yarra Park
landscape projects. We continue to meet our
obligations with respect to the redevelopment
debt, which stands at $280.383 million.
YARRA PARK
The MCC’s second year charged with the
responsibility of day-to-day management
of Yarra Park involved major developments
that will underpin the long-term health
of the parkland and improve its amenity.
Chief among these was construction
of Victoria’s largest underground Water
Recycling Facility (WRF) in Yarra Park
adjacent to the MCG. The facility, built by
Tenix, will treat sewage to Class A recycled
water standards. The $24 million project has
MCC ($18 million) funding the WRF and State
Government of Victoria providing $6 million
for landscaping work in Yarra Park.
This water will then be reused primarily
as irrigation in Yarra Park, for cleaning
and toilet flushing at the MCG, as well as
nearby Punt Road Oval. The plant will be
able to produce more than 600 kilolitres
of recycled water per day.
As one of the first of its type in Victoria, the
recycling facility has been built underground,
out of public view, without taking away from
valuable surface land use or park amenity.
Construction is scheduled for completion in
late-July/early-August 2012.
In line with the MCC’s master plan
for Yarra Park, work during the year also
commenced on the re-establishment of
avenues of trees, selected tree planting
and additional mulching, new garden
MCC Annual Report 2011/12
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