To decide what would happen to the Tasmania Devils’ proposed AFL high-performance complex at Rosny, the Clarence City Council might hold an elector poll. However, mayor Brendan Blomeley has cautioned that this could be costly, perhaps costing up to $200,000, and that the poll’s findings might not be legally binding.
It follows a community meeting yesterday night that drew over 400 attendees in response to a petition against the facility from the neighbourhood organisation Save Rosny’s Parks.
Opponents of an in-principle plan to construct the AFL high-performance centre at two locations—the former Rosny golf course and Charles Hand Memorial Park, which is home to an international competition skate park—signed the petition, which attracted 1,000 signatures.
Six motions made by the petitioners were adopted at the meeting, including a request that the council revoke its decision to approve the project and that no site construction on a high-performance complex be done till a Hobart AFL stadium is officially approved.
The council will discuss those non-binding measures at a later meeting this month.
The Save Rosny’s Parks organisation may file a second petition asking for an elector poll in which all Clarence citizens would be able to vote if it is dissatisfied with the meeting’s results.
Although it is a possibility, Clarence ratepayers would have to pay a significant price for it, and the poll’s conclusions might not be legally binding, the mayor of Clarence, Brendan Blomeley, said.
“Ratepayers need to understand that it would be up to $200,000 to conduct that elector poll, and it’s obviously not compulsory for people to participate in that,” Cr Blomeley said on ABC Mornings.
“That money can be expended, but then what elected members choose to do with the results is another thing altogether.”
Split council over where to locate the centre
Terry Polglase, the leader of the Save Rosny’s Parks organisation, stated that while his group was not against the facility being built in Clarence, it was vehemently against its planned placement in the parklands of the city.
If an elector poll were to be conducted, he declared that he would endorse its outcome.
“If council wanted to run an elector poll, we will certainly [support it] and we are considering it ourselves,” he stated to ABC Mornings.
According to Mr. Polglase, the council members themselves couldn’t agree on where to put the facility.
“No more than three council members can be associated with one side. He stated that there are six people who want the ovals: three who want them on the golf course, three who want them on Charles Hand Park, three more who want them on both parks, and three who don’t want them at all.
“Council don’t even know what they want.”
One MCG-sized oval at Charles Hand Memorial Park and another MCG-sized oval at the location of the former Rosny golf course are part of the current plans for the high-performance complex.
The golf course section of the property would house the main administration building and its buildings, but an oval on Charles Hand Park would need the destruction of roughly eighty trees and maybe the dismantling of a newly constructed skate park.
The facility’s formal designs are yet unfinished.
Site selection in disagreement
Numerous ideas were taken into consideration, one of which is that Cr. Blomeley says he personally prefers: placing the complete facility on the site of the former golf course.
Location of the Tassie AFL club training centre was chosen.
Two MCG-sized ovals, an auditorium, an indoor training area, and swimming rehabilitation facilities for a Tasmanian AFL club are all planned for the Rosny Parklands property, which is located near to the Eastlands retail centre.
To be honest, I oppose the construction of an oval anyplace close to Charles Hand Park. The skate park would be preserved and Charles Hand Park would not have an oval surrounded by all the trees if I had my way, he declared, emphasising that I only have one vote in the chamber.
“There is undoubtedly some geotechnical work that must be done; the cost will be determined by this. We understand that spending $70 million is a big commitment, but I want to see it happen in the City of Clarence.”
According to Mr. Polglase, there is “no compromise” that can be made and the facility should be completely relocated away from the parkland, which includes the golf course.
“Aside from the fact that their own reports state it is impossible, it is still parkland.
“Council itself has spent $160,000 to put up a City Heart plan to use that area, and it’s the basis of the City Heart plan so it just can’t be put there.”
Football club is up for business.
Executive director of Tasmania Football Club Kath McCann stated that the club was not married to the parkland site, but that the Rosny location was favoured due to its closeness to the city and airport, as well as an already “buoyant area of the community”.
“The club has no set opinion regarding the ideal layout for a particular site.
“It’s really important that we continue and we’ll work with all of the stakeholders to get the best outcome for all parties in addition to delivering a terrific high-performance centre,” she stated.
“We need to demonstrate an openness to work through what is the best outcome for not only the club but all parties, in terms of finalising what that option is.”
According to the terms of the state government’s agreement with the AFL, the high-performance facility needs all environmental and planning permissions to be completed by December.
The council could choose a different strategy and modify the facility’s plans in the absence of a formal heads of agreement with the state government.
Councils in southern Tasmania were asked to submit expressions of interest for the facility during a site selection process conducted by the state government last year.
At the time, Rosny’s parklands presented a “lot of construction challenges,” according to Kingborough mayor Paula Wriedt, who had proposed Kingston’s twin ovals as a potential site for the facility.
“I think if you look at a range of factors like the need for rezoning at Rosny as well as the development application process, combined with the challenges of the site that they have at Rosny, they have a number of easements that are over it, they have a lot of vegetation that they have to cut down,” Cr Wriedt stated in 2016.
In the end, Rosny was chosen because of its links to the larger community and its access to nearby enterprises.
However, a few locals are worried that there hasn’t been enough engagement over the plans to construct the facility at the two locations.
While acknowledging the shortcomings of the consultation process, Cr. Blomeley cited a survey with 959 replies, the second-highest number of any poll the council had ever carried out.
The Tasmanian AFL club will have a venue to practise prior to its inaugural season in 2028 when the state government expects to have the facility constructed and operational by 2026.
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