By Parker McKenzie
The development of a synthetic soccer pitch proved a contentious issue among counsellors at the Knox City Council meeting on Monday 27 June.
With members of Knox City Football Club in attendance in the gallery, councillors debated the merit of the synthetic turf pitch at RD Egan Lee Reserve.
Counsellor Lisa Cooper said Knox City Football Club and other users of the facilities have developed their programs based on the expectation of a synthetic pitch.
“In my view, this club sets the standards and expectations all community clubs should aspire to,” she said.
“After many strategic meetings between our clubs and council, we finally endorsed a master plan for the sports precinct at Egan Lee Reserve.
“There have been some very clear and realistic expectations council will deliver this.”
She proposed an amendment to the plan to ensure more trees were planted around the development of the pitch.
Councillor Seymour, who seconded the amendment, thanked her for bringing it forward.
Baird Ward Councillor Yvonne Allred spoke in opposition to the motion and said the 2018 master plan noted council should investigate the installation of a synthetic pitch.
“Masterplans are not as prescriptive as we might believe, they have some ability to move and flex over time,” she said.
“Officer Recommendations are already deviating from the plan by repositioning the proposed pitch.”
A moment of contention arose between Ms Allred and Cr Darren Pearce when Ms Allred said a climate emergency declaration had been adopted by Knox City Council.
“The master plan for Egan Lee Reserve was endorsed in a previous term of council and is already four years old. In that time, the council has seen a change in elected representatives,” she said.
“Just last year Knox Council adopted the climate response plan alongside the climate emergency declaration.”
Mr Pearce called for a point of order and said the statement wasn’t factually correct and there was no climate emergency declared by Knox Council.
“Declaring a climate emergency is a very specific declaration. It is very important and has a very definite context, we never did that,” he said.
“We moved a motion in relation to climate change concern but we never declared a climate emergency.”
Ms Allred accepted the point of order and corrected her statement.
She said Egan Lee Reserve was close to ecologically significant areas and was already being fragmented by development.
“I am speaking on behalf of Knox residents who have passionately raised their concerns with this proposed synthetic turf,” she said.
“I support their desire for a natural turf field upgrade. I would rather see council invest in a superior variety of turf, improve soil structure and drainage, and increase the expertise and training of the reserve managers going forward.”
She said she would not be supporting the recommendation in the report or the alternative.
Mr Pearce said he was glad the plan had finally come to council and it should have “taken five minutes and finished off months ago.”
“We have a responsibility to act in the best interest of as many residents as possible,” he said.
“When looked over a ten-year period on an average cost per an hour of usage, synthetic pitches are half the cost to maintain of natural pitches.”
He said the best possible solution for the facility was the most cost-effective and the council received 131 positive responses compared to 26 unsupportive responses to the master plan.
Councillor Jude Dwight said financially the proposal wasn’t stacking up.
“In just 12 months the estimates given to council for a synthetic surface has gone up $300,000 dollars,” she said.
“What happens when we go to tender and those outcomes are too expensive, where are we going to compromise?”
Councillor Timmers-Leich, whose son plays for Knox City Football Club, supported the motion and said the synthetic pitch would aid in ensuring the club had access to the facilities it needs.
Councillor Grasso said she would support the motion based on the cost-benefit and a decrease in injury associated with synthetic pitches.
Mayor Susan Laukens said the issue was a conflict of priorities.
“I don’t like how the environment always gets shifted to the side for other competing factors,” she said.
“It does not sit comfortably with me but I also understand our community needs areas to play sport.”
She said she would be supporting the synthetic pitch because of the need of the community.
The motion passed seven votes in support to two in opposition. Councillors Allred and Dwight were the two who opposed the motion.
Council endorsed the recommendation for a southwest Soccer pitch at RD Egan Lee Reserve to be converted to a synthetic soccer pitch and the proposed changes made by Ms Cooper.
