Opinion: Melville Council’s cricket club plan is juvenile

THE City of Melville Council has done it again. It has the planning expertise of a juvenile.

The Shirley Strickland Oval complex has been in the news lately. The sporting bodies’ largest and longest tenant is the Applecross Cricket Club.

The club is the second largest in the area. Many years ago it attained first grade status. One of the requirements was for “senior” clubs to have a turf wicket. They duly made an application to the council for a turf wicket to be installed at Shirley Strickland. It was, and continues to be, flatly refused.

Some 10-plus years ago the sporting bodies suggested to the council an upgrade of the facilities was needed. That application was flatly refused. Just recently the council announced a multi-million dollar refurbishment of the sporting facility, suggesting it was the council’s idea.

It has agreed to provide the cricket club with a turf wicket, but not at Shirley Strickland.

The council, in its wisdom, has chosen a ground where there is not even a toilet block, let alone change-room facilities.

Why would a club move from its traditional home to a new facility that has nothing? Why aren’t the wickets to be installed at Shirley Strickland?

WP REYNOLDS,

Attadale.