City agrees Corio Sports Club needs second oval

A PLEA from the Corio Community Sports Club for a second ground for its juniors has been given a receptive audience within the City of Greater Geelong.

Club President Greg Ince said the junior cricket team was unable to play home games at the Purnell Road ground due to existing matches from other age groups already being scheduled there and parents “just don’t want to be nomadic anymore”.

“They’re sick of travelling from one oval to another oval,” he told council at its February meeting.

Mr Ince said the issue was coming to a head again as the football season gets underway and junior players from Auskick through to under 16s look for space to train and play games.

“We’re just putting forward to the Shire that we would like to have a second oval for all our kids to go and play at,” he said.

Mr Ince suggested that nearby ovals on the corner of Plantation Road and Hendy Street would be logical secondary options for the club.

“There is a spare oval that could be redeveloped or next door there is one that I believe is owned by the education department,” he said.

Council’s community life director Robyn Stevens acknowledged that having only one oval was a “significant constraint to your ongoing growth and sustainability”, and support was needed to meet the club’s growing participation.

Ms Stevens said the city agreed to investigate the potential of the site nominated by Mr Ince, and had offered a planning grant to the club’s cricket division in January this year “to conduct preliminary planning and investigations for a multi-purpose oval to be constructed on that reserve”.

“As part of these investigations officers will seek to gain a better understanding of the opportunities within the reserve, including the future use of the disused oval located behind the rehabilitation centre.

“Officers will also assess the feasibility of acquiring this land to meet the growing demand for sporting facilities in Geelong’s growing northern suburbs.”

Ms Stevens said the outcome of planning grant will result in conceptual designs for a multi-sport field at the site, referred to as Flinders Peak Reserve, and an estimation of the cost for the options that may be proposed.

“These options will be provided to council for consideration once completed,” she said.