The Yarrawonga Pigeons and Moira Shire Council are finally united on a way forward for JC Lowe Oval, with the council releasing a draft masterplan for the precinct.
The plan, which is open for community comment until June 15, follows the Pigeons-led Community Asset Committee – which manages the precinct on behalf of council – submitting a plan of their own for nearly a decade in order to get some certainty on the precinct’s needs.
Yarrawonga Football Netball Club president and CAG Chair Ross Mulquiney welcomed the draft masterplan, saying it largely matched the CAG’s vision in many respects.
“It is rewarding the shire has so readily adopted so much of the community group’s planning within this document and formalised the planning for the zone,” he said.
The community is being encouraged to comment on the 10-year vision, with the plan and the consultation process a key element of securing state and federal grants for works.
“Plans like this help us to have conversations with state and federal governments about unlocking funds to complete improvements, as council and community don’t have the capacity to undertake these improvements ourselves,” Moira Shire chief executive Matthew Morgan said.
The precinct is set to continue to host the YFNC for the foreseeable future, after suggestions of the Pigeons moving to Victoria Park was ruled out in that precinct’s revised 2022 masterplan.
Mr Mulquiney said the YFNC accepted that relocation was currently not viable within the council’s budget constraints.
“The YFNC accepts the shire’s position and has only ever sought to make the best of its facilities at the precinct,” he said.
The club has made its own improvements to the precinct in recent years including constructing a new netball court, resurfacing the existing court, building female friendly changerooms, constructing all-abilities toilets and a baby change area, and installing an irrigated grassed viewing area – all achieved with just a $70,000 contribution from council.
27 development priorities
In addition to football and netball, the precinct houses the Yarrawonga Lawn Tennis Club – the other major stakeholder in the CAG – and hosts major tennis events Country Week and the Easter Tennis Tournament, as well as other sports like athletics.
The 27 development priorities identified in the plan range from spends of $2500 (a road closure gate between netball and football) to $5 million (new football and netball community facilities). They are also split into short, medium and long-term priorities.
Council said the 27 ideas were a mix of “needed and desirable” improvements. The plan also makes a preference for multi-use facilities “a key priority”.
Other spends include replacing four concrete tennis courts ($350,000), replacing football and tennis surface irrigation ($220,000) and provide adequate lighting to entrance way and carpark ($130,000).
Mr Mulquiney said the short-term priorities came down to three:
- Naming the entry road (completed in 2019) so that emergency services can identify distress calls from the venue.
- An all-abilities pathway from both carparks and the township.
- Lighting for the roadway/carparks.
“Any emergency call for services to the venue is a near impossible task. It is difficult to accept the roadway was not named at or before the time it was opened to the public,” Mr Mulquiney said.
More longer term, Mr Mulquiney said the agreement about the caravan park-leased southwest corner of the precinct being turned into a new grassed area should be implemented.
“The value-add of the green space to the community at such a small cost, with the multi uses, makes the project a wonderful cost-effective way forward,” he said.
Other matters identified in council’s consultation process so far include:
• The tennis club entry point, which is currently a long walk from parking.
• Limited spectator seating for netball.
• An ageing football pavilion, which has a current asset rating of “fair”.
Moira Shire chair administrator John Tanner, AM, said community feedback was crucial and welcomed.
“Council is eager to gather community feedback on the draft masterplan, to ensure it meets the needs and expectations of the Yarrawonga community and user groups,” he said. “It’s crucial to receive input to making the reserve a space everyone can enjoy and utilise for many years to come.”
Mr Mulquiney said the majority self-funded works of recent times but been made possible by local business contributions including from Kennedy Builders, Judd and Sons, STF Engineering, Dowling Brothers, Murray River Electrical and AXT Plumbing.
“The area has been blessed by a number of local businesses having donated much time and labour to rectify issues and create a usable venue,” he said.
People can comment on the plan at www.moiramatters.com.au/yarrawonga-jc-lowe-oval-masterplan- for assistance with the online platform, call Council’s customer service via (03) 5871 9222.