Footy club fights gloom

By Tania Martin
A LOCAL football club is ramping up its push for better lighting amid player safety concerns.
Olinda-Ferny Creek has been calling for better lights for the past five years without much success.
The club says the current lighting is a safety risk to players training at night.
It last week formed the Light Up Olinda Action Group in a bid for the installation of new high-strength lights.
Former club vice-president and Knox City councillor Peter Cole has joined the group.
“I was invited to join the campaign because I used to play there and know what it’s like,” Cr Cole said.
“I remember training at the club and trying to mark or kick the ball and getting hit in the nose because you couldn’t see anything.”
Andrew Greenwal and Bruce Lowey will also be joined by local community representatives on the group.
They are calling for new lights to enable night games and a safer environment for night training sessions.
Cr Cole said the group was put into action last week following a meeting with the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
They were told it could take at least 18 months to get the lights up and running if the project was deemed a priority for the shire.
“This answer was simply not acceptable to the group,” Cr Cole said.
Cr Cole said the footy ground was used by hundreds of kids and adults every week for all types of activities.
He said the lights had been sub-standard for many years.
Cr Cole said the lighting was installed more than 30 years ago and was currently only at 20-25 LUX which is well below the 150 LUX needed for night training and matches.
“This is an urgent issue and we need to get the problem resolved as soon as possible in order for the club to grow and for the council to demonstrate that it is serious about looking after its sporting clubs through out the entire shire,” he said.
Mr Greenwal said the club was grateful to the council for working with the AFL and State Government for netball court improvements but that the footy group must not be forgotten.
“The ground is in desperate need of new lights to provide a safe facility for night training sessions and to play matches on,” he said.
However, shire spokesman James Martin said the Lights at Olinda Oval were used primary for training purposes and were the responsibility of the club.
Mr Martin said the council understood the club would like to upgrade the lights so they could host night football matches.
“The club has been advised that they may wish to apply for either a Shire of Yarra Ranges Community Grant (Capital Development Program), or a Sport and Recreation Victoria minor grant,” he said.
Mr Martin said these grants were available to sporting clubs to undertake a range of improvement works.
Cr Cole said the group would be putting pressure on all facets of government to help fund lighting for the ground.