Kalkarra Park proposal gives people something to do

THE Surf Coast Shire will more closely consider a proposal to build a basketball/netball court in a Mount Duneed park, but two councillors are at odds about whether this is a good thing for the community.

Councillors resolved to accept the recommendations in the latest quarterly update of the Community Project Development at their meeting last week.

The $20,000 Kalkarra Park Playspace Basketball/Netball Pad Proposal was one of three projects to be referred to the council’s future project prioritisation and budget processes, including consideration for grant opportunities.

A playground facility renewal project was carried out at Kalkarra Park (off Kalkarra Crescent) in 2015/2016, with the basketball/netball pad the only element on the design layout plan not to be delivered.

The shire ran a letter box drop to 100 residents and email contact with past project contacts to seek feedback on whether this proposal was still relevant or needed.

Of the 14 feedback responses, one residential property (neighbouring the park) objected to the proposal, primarily due to the likely noise that would result from the proposed development and the impact on residential amenity and enjoyment.

Cr Heather Wellington said she had been in contact with that neighbour, who had raised concerns about the creation of “an environment which is very isolated, actually, in this particular space, and creating an environment which is actually encouraging youths to congregate”.

“I think there’s some validity to what’s been said here. When you put these resources into places, you need to think about the consequences of putting that kind of facility that’s aimed at older teenagers, and the consequences of them congregating in an isolated space.”

She said Kalkarra Park was a “very exclusive park for a small number of people”.

“It seems like a lot of money that we could actually spend in other sites.”

Cr Margot Smith, who moved the motion, said the five-acre blocks were being subdivided and more people were coming into the development.

“Really, I kind of like to think that congregation of people having something to do is actually good for our community and not necessarily bad.”