Magee’s report asked for whether in the ‘last few years’ demand has been ‘matched’ by supply for sports grounds. He also asked that included in the report be information on whether clubs have ‘exceeded their allocation’ and whether players have been turned away. Also asked for ‘advice’ on recreational ‘uses of the land’ in the ‘centre of the racecourse reserve’ if horse training was gone. He wanted this information in a ‘conceptual format’ rather than a ‘detailed format’ and that it should look at both ‘active and passive recreation’ and ‘not limited to soccer, football, netball’ and cricket. ‘all weather surfaces’ should also be looked at. This report should be ‘attained’ via external, qualified consultants. Delahunty seconded.

MAGEE: said his past experience has shown that they could have had more teams but these couldn’t be ‘accommodated’ because of lack of allocations and grounds so they had to tell kids to ‘go to Murrumbeena’ to ‘make sure they played somewhere’. Claimed that many clubs complain that they’ve applied for so many allocations but only been given a minimum of grounds. ‘how do we turn away these children?’ Said that there are 40 or 50 extra teams that ‘we can’t accommodate’ so its ‘throughout the municipality’ and not just one club. Went on to say that he looks at the racecourse and after ‘going through contract after contract’ (as a trustee of the racecourse) and knowing what the centre ‘was meant to be’ (park, recreation, racing). ‘It has never been used’ as a recreational park. Said that in 2 years time there is the end of one maintenance lease and that the view of the trustees is to get rid of this and ‘incorporate the centre of the racecourse into a 21 year lease’ so that in ‘2 years time we will miss the opportunity’ to do anything. He wants an ‘independent’ assessment and if the report come back saying that the ‘centre of the racecourse is not suitable’ he would accept it but ‘doubts’ that this will be the outcome of the report. He wants to know how many kids have not been part of organised sport because they couldn’t be ‘accommodated’. Not fair on administrators and clubs and having to say to kids ‘you’re a victim of your own success’. this is an opportunity to ‘get all the facts, all the figures’. Could cost $10,000 but thinks that ‘at some point’ this council has to say – “here is our plan for the centre of the racecourse’ and sport in Glen Eira. ‘Where are we in ten years time’ whether council will still be saying ‘bloody racecourse – we should be using that’ space. Said that people ask where ‘training is going to go’ and that he’d pulled out press releases which showed the government pouring ‘heaps of money’ into Packenham and Moe racecourses who are welcoming new trainers. Moving training to these areas shouldn’t ‘upset too many people’ but will ‘make a huge difference to the people of Glen Eira’. Mentioned the agreement which said that the MRC ‘wanted training removed’ because it costs them 1 million per annum but noone is doing anything. Council ‘needs to be proactive’ because nothing ‘has happened’ in the past decade and unless they get active, nothing will happen in the next ten years except that in 2 years time ‘a 21 year lease will be signed’. With state and federal elections looming council should be ‘advocating’ for the proper split of the racecourse (park, recreation, racing). councillors shouldn’t oppose this request for a report because it’s ‘not an action’ and not saying that we’re ‘doing anything’ just calling for information ‘so we can plan’ about the next 5 or ten years.

DELAHUNTY: supports the motion. Need for ‘strategic thinking’ because ‘there’s no bigger issue’ in Glen Eira. Said council has to get it right and decisions have to be ‘underpinned’ on the ‘basis of knowledge’ and ‘independent reporting’. Said that with the MRC current ‘financial status’ she doesn’t see how they can turn away training and its their job as councillors ‘to make our position known’ that ‘they need to seek training elsewhere’ and ‘rearrange their business’. Said that the Caulfield Village will provide them with money so they should be able to move training elsewhere. But the c60 also says ‘how many more people are going to be calling for open space’ and if council does nothing then those people will have a ‘brilliant view of those horses training’ and they won’t have anywhere to do their own jogging. That’s ‘not right’. The report will tell them the potential uses of the land.

Lipshutz asked how much the report would cost. Burke replied that it would be in the ‘vicinity’ of between $8000 – $15000

LIPSHUTZ: ‘commended’ Magee’s ‘passion’ but logic was needed because Council doesn’t ‘own the racecourse’ and even the MRC doesn’t – it’s the trustees. The only way to settle the issue about the centre of the racecourse is to ‘advocate’ that the trustees be abolished and that a committee of ‘community management’ be set up which is ‘independent’. Everyone knows that the ‘majority’ of trustees are ‘in control of the MRC’ so this has to be dealt with first. Said that the agreement was ‘the best we could get’ at the time. He also wants to see ‘training go’. Council could spend the money and get the report ‘based on a theory’ and the future lease ‘will be signed irrespective of what we do’ because the MRC ‘controls the trust’. He supports the first part of Magee’s request for a report but not the. second. You can look now and see what you can put there. You don’t need to ‘plan that’. Recalled the Caulfield Master Plan and said that when they implemented that, council was criticised because they were implementing a plan that ‘was ten years old’. So getting a ‘conceptual plan’ that only tells us what we ‘already know’ isn’t ‘going to achieve a hell of a lot’. Part 2 of Magee’s request is ‘nonsensical’ and a proposal which isn’t ‘appropriate’ and to spend $150000 on a plan that is only going to ‘gather dust’ and a ‘total waste’. ‘Let’s advocate’.

OKOTEL asked whether the open space strategy review will be looking at the ‘actual uses’ of that open space. Burke answered ‘not in relation’ to the racecourse. It also won’t ‘go into detail’ because it’s not land that is ‘directly under council’s control’. Okotel repeated and clarified her original question asking whether the open space strategy would look at the ‘potential uses’ of open space. Burke then said ‘It will’ but not necessarily ‘in relation’ to the MRC site.

LOBO: said that what they’re not realising is that if the report is $15,000, then the value of the land is $2 billion. Said that ‘we need to exercise our authority’ and help all those kids who are missing out.

SOUNNESS: supports the first part of the report ‘wholeheartedly’ but the second part lacks a ‘little clarity’. He understands ‘the principle’ and wants to see how the relationship with the MRC develops.

PILLING: said that the request was unusual because ‘it does involve cost’ and request for reports don’t usually do this. Because elections are coming up he did see ‘some merit’ in having an ‘advocating tool’. Thought that the money was ‘reasonable’ to ‘move things forward’

HYAMS: even though Glen Eira is short of open space, the centre of the racecourse shouldn’t be ‘seen as a panacea’. races will continue on Saturdays so you wouldn’t have sporting games then. You’d also have to build pavilions and other facilities and this would mean that people couldn’t see ‘right across the racecourse’ which is necessary. Supports the request except for the call for an independent consultant becaue he has ‘faith’ in council’s recreation department to do the job ‘more quickly’ because no need for tender and they’d probably get ‘the same result’. Asked Burke if ‘he felt officers would be capable’. Burke said ‘yes’ that they’ve got the sufficient ‘experience’ and skill.

Hyams then wanted to move the amendment that the last sentence be removed. Magee didn’t agree so Hyams moved the formal amendment. Okotel seconded.

Magee spoke against the amendment saying that ‘it was crucial’ that this remain not because he doubted officer’s ability but if they’re going toj present this to outside parties like government it was important that it be seen as entirely objective.

DELAHUNTY: also didn’t see the request for independents as a ‘comment’ on officers. It was a step to ‘ensure’ that it be seen as ‘independent’. It’s not ‘frivolous’ spending of money.

LOBO asked about the indpeendent off leash review how much it cost and was it independent. Hyams said he didn’t know off hand. Burke confirmed that it was done by an independent. Hyams then followed up with saying that on this issue officers didn’t have the necessary ‘expertise’ in the area so that’s why it was independent. Lobo then reaffirmed that it was ‘independent’ and that it would ‘be good’ to also get independent ‘advice’ here.

AMENDMENT PUT AND LOST. VOTING FOR THE AMENDMENT – OKOTEL, LIPSHUTZ, ESAKOFF, HYAMS.

VOTING AGAINST AMENDMENT – MAGEE, DELAHUNTY, LOBO, PILLNG,SOUNNESS

MAGEE: summed up by answering Lipshutz’s statement that the land was MRC’s land. He said ‘it’s crown land…it belongs to you and me’. Trustees are ruling body and that government has been called upon to review this. Went into the make-up of the trustee and said that ‘it’s in the mind’ of the premier and minister’s that ‘there is an issue here’ , Said that positive ‘comments’ had been coming from local MPs such as Southwick  that ‘he would like to see training gone’. Repeated that ‘this is a call for a report. Nothing more’. The money is ‘well spent’. Council needs to start ‘developing a policy, a framework, a direction’. For ten years nothing’s been done and no council has done anything about ‘opening up the centre of the racecourse’. There’s been a lot of talk but he’s seen ‘very, very little’. Said that there’s now a pathway and toilets but years ago those who parked in the centre of the course complained that they were ‘getting dirty’ getting to the stands because the grounds were muddy and if they ‘had to go back to their car’ there were ‘no toilets’. So the MRC did this and called it a ‘community thing. It’s for racing’. ‘It’s a great community asset if the community can get in there’ when they have to wait for the ‘gate to be opened…if the gate opens’. Said we need report and councillors to support him.

MOTION PUT AND CARRIED. VOTING FOR MOTION – MAGEE, DELAHUNTY, LOBO, PILLING, SOUNNESS, ESAKOFF

VOTING AGAINST – OKOTEL, LIPSHUTZ

PS: Here’s the Leader’s story/article on this issue –

An independent recreation specialist will be paid to advise the council, instead of council officers.

The specialist will also be instructed to look into opportunities for more sport in the city if horse training was relocated away from the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve.

Councillors clashed over the cost of a specialist, but agreed on the need for more open space, the need to look into claims that sports clubs were turning children away and the need to consider opportunities at the racecourse reserve.

Councillor Jim Magee told the meeting there were “40 or 50 extra teams that we can’t accommodate”.

Does your sports club have to turn players away? Tell us below.

“How many children in Glen Eira have missed out on playing sport?” he said.

“It’s crucial to the credibility of this report that it’s independent.”

CAR SHARING

SOUNNESS moved the motion that council ‘monitor’ the car sharing work done by other councils and that a report come back to council ‘in twelve months time’. Delahunty seconded.

SOUNNESS: started by saying that we all ‘drive cars’ and therefore need to park them ‘somewhere’ and that some people even have more than one car. Car sharing is one option but it’s ‘an idea’ and it needs to ‘mature’ which ‘isn’t here at the moment’. ‘Personally’ he thinks it’s a great idea and that it would be a ‘worthwhile community asset’ but only ‘when the time is right’.

DELAHUNTY: supports car sharing ‘very strongly’ and as this ‘moves forward’ in other councils, then Glen Eira should also have it. As a municipality close to the city it makes great sense to have car sharing especially around train stations. When others come from other muniicipalities and park in the car sharing spots then it’ll be good for local traders and environment. ‘we will keep a close eye on this’ and in 12 months she is of ‘no doubt’ that the report back to council will show that a trial ‘especially around Camden ward will be welcomed’.

MOTION PUT. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY