Royal Park sporting field proposal sparks community concern

The City of Melbourne’s proposal for new sporting fields in Royal Park has left the community divided, with advocacy groups concerned that the park is under threat, while sporting associations are are backing the suggested changes.

At the first Future Committee Meeting (FMC) of the year on February 4, the council tabled a report that provided the “context” behind its proposed increase in sporting fields, which are currently part of its Draft Royal Park Master Plan. The plan is open for community consultation until February 23.

Within the report, the council stated that there is a need for more sporting facilities due to the city’s population being expected to grow by an additional 114,700 people over the next 20 to 30 years.

Under the proposal, Lawn 7 would include an oval, up to three rectangular fields and amenities required to support participation in community sports. There is also a proposed tennis court at North Park Tennis Club.

Parkville Association president, Rob Moore, said that the new sporting fields are not in line with the 1972 plan for the park, which aimed to create a space for “passive” recreation.

The construction of the sporting fields, according to Mr Moore, will disrupt the natural environment and threaten local wildlife, including the critically endangered Swift Parrot.

The lack of flora and fauna studies is something that Royal Park Protection Group convenor, Paul Leitinger, believes has muddied the vision for the park.

“The danger is that the whole report has not considered the uniqueness of this park,” he said.

“The birds and migrant species that pass through the park are being sacrificed for what is a fairly narrow vision of how we can supply or give access to sports fields.”

The City of Melbourne is trying to say that it is going to have a population increase and therefore we have to cater for it within the municipality.

However, the other side of the coin, according to Mr Leitinger, is that many of the participants who use these sports fields live in other municipalities and that one park within the district shouldn’t be seen as the solution to the greater Melbourne’s lack of facilities. 

Speaking at the February 4 meeting, the council's parks and city greening acting director, Fiona Finlayson, said that according to State Sport Association ratios, the city is a long way behind in terms of the number of sports facilities it is currently providing. She said that due to the city having a “shortfall” of around 16 ovals, the proposal of one new oval, two soccer pitches, and one tennis court is “reasonable.”

A number of sporting associations made submissions regarding the proposal, with many using it as an opportunity to lobby for new facilities. The Youlden Parkville Cricket Club is pushing to redevelop the Royal Park North cricket nets and for the council to commit to retaining all existing turf cricket facilities in Royal Park.

Meanwhile, Anthony Magen from the Melbourne Disc Golf Club seized the opportunity to recommend that a provision for disc golf be included within the current plan to avoid conflict with other "formal" sports already in the park.

With the community consultation period still open until February 23, Lord Mayor Nick Reece urged residents and community members to share their thoughts on the draft master plan.

“I think [Royal Park] is one of the most special places in our entire city,” Cr Reece said. “It is also one of the most utilised parks in Melbourne, much loved by sports lovers, walkers, and Melburnians.”

“It’s an important part of our objectives to make sure we have a healthy and active community," he said. I think this additional information that’s been pulled together by management is very valuable and will help inform the process going forward." •