Councillor: clubs not 'good sports'
Fairfield Advance, 27 June 07

Thang Ngo is angry about inaccessible sporting grounds.

FAIRFIELD clubs are effectively controlling the use of council-owned sporting grounds because of lease agreements, Councillor Thang Ngo claims.

Cr Ngo is calling for a review of the council's leasing policy with the area's big clubs, claiming rate-payers are being locked out.

However, the clubs' spokespeople deny Cr Ngo's claim saying the sporting grounds are only locked at night, for security reasons.

The council's leasing policy provides the clubs with guaranteed use of the grounds, in return for financing improvements to amenities and the fields.

Cr Ngo said the gates to many of the grounds were locked.

In a memo sent to councillors, City Assets manager Mike Hanrahan confirmed there were several lease agreements in place with various clubs.

"The grounds are available to the general public and to other sporting clubs and schools as required when not in use,'' the memo reads.

"In this regard bookings for use of the grounds are sought from and managed by the club concerned.''

Cr Ngo said the leasing policy needed to be reviewed.

"Of greatest concern is the fact that some of these grounds are fenced and locked, which effectively restricts access to residents,'' he said.

"Bookings for these grounds are made directly with the clubs leasing the grounds and I'm completely opposed to this.''

He said letting the clubs control access was a conflict of interest.

"No wonder the community thinks the clubs own these fields if they even have to ask permission from the clubs,'' he said.

Fairfield Mayor Nick Lalich said some grounds were fenced to stop cars driving onto the playing fields and to keep out vandals.

"Access for pedestrians to sporting fields should still be available in these instances,'' he said.

"While council allows local clubs to lease sporting fields, this does not provide them with a monopoly over use of the fields.''

Club Marconi chief executive Debbie Feening said Marconi Park was locked after 9pm to stop people getting in and vandalising.

"During the day people are most welcome to come and use the grounds providing no one has already booked the fields and is using them,'' she said.

"The club has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars maintaining the grounds and we don't want vandals getting in and destroying the grounds.''

Mounties chief executive Greg Pickering said Cook Park and Mt Pritchard Oval were only locked at night time.

"We have spent $1.5 million on an amenities building and $200,000 on maintaining the grounds,'' he said.

"There are fences around the grounds but they are always completely accessible to the public.''

Spokespeople for other clubs did not respond to the Fairfield Advance's request for comment before deadline yesterday.