Secretary of SNP Warriors Hockey Club David Shipton has grand plans for Mills Reserve.By Nathan Johnston
THE tenants of Mills Reserve, Dandenong, are preparing a proposal to revamp the park’s hockey fields in a bid to turn it into a world class facility.
Secretary of Springvale Noble Park Warriors Hockey Club David Shipton said his club and cotenants, the Dandenong Hockey Club, would discuss the plans with the City of Greater Dandenong in coming weeks.
He said the proposal would require substantial council funding, but would allow the City of Greater Dandenong to secure major hockey events.
Part of the plan was to replace the deteriorating sandbased playing surface with a modern waterbased surface similar to the one used at the Melbourne’s National Hockey Centre.
“If we don’t get a new waterbased surface in two years, the hockey in Dandenong will be history,” Mr Shipton said.
He said the SNP Warriors fielded seven junior teams, three veterans’ teams, three men’s and one women’s team.
“The first club in the surrounding municipalities to get a waterbased surface will be a big winner,” he said.
“It will result in toplevel and even international matches being played there.
“It would cost around $1.5 million for the new surface and new clubrooms.”
Mr Shipton said the hockey clubs would also welcome a new soccer club to Mills Reserve to share the facilities.
“We have a grass hockey field which is not being used, and we know there’s a soccer club looking for a home,” he said.
“We could set the clubrooms up in the middle of the hockey and soccer fields.
“We’d love to see it become a multifunctional reserve. There are so many options.”
The proposal comes at a time when the two clubs are in financial strife after missing out on council funding for the last two years due to an administration bungle. The clubs share responsibilities on a committee of management of Mills Reserve, and used council funding as rent.
But they failed to submit a funding application.
Mr Shipton said the committee was now in the process of renegotiating its tenancy terms at the reserve with the City of Greater Dandenong.
Cr Angela Long met with Mr Shipton on Monday and said the clubs “only had themselves to blame” for their financial situation.
“It’s not up to the council to ensure everyone fills out their grant application forms,” she said.
“They have to take responsibility for that themselves.
“Until the new agreements are finalised we can’t guarantee anything.”
But Cr Long said the redevelopment plans were worth investigating.
“It’s a good concept, but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.
“They’ve got to get some concept plans drawn up, list some priorities and then we can look at it.”
Cr Long said she also expected the clubs would have to source some alternate funding.
“It’s probably too much money to ask of the council on its own,” she said.
“They will need to find State or Federal Government money and commit funding in kind.”
