By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A hotly-debated $6.7 million upgrade of Ross Reserve is “back on track”.
Greater Dandenong Council’s long-awaited rebuild of the dangerously uneven running track had been on hold due to concerns about a huge cost blowout and design issues.
The project includes upgrading the venue for regional championships, by adding new facilities such as hammer throw, pole vault and steeplechase.
Cr Tim Dark said he’d lift his recission motion against the project, after successful negotiations between the council and dismayed sport club officials.
As a result, wheelchair access to the track and storage facilities would be improved, he said.
Cr Dark was still uneasy about the spiralling cost of the project, after $2.5 million was allocated in the 2022-’23 council budget.
Councillors were “blindsided until late in the piece” about the $4.2 million extra cost, he said.
“They’ve attempted to now divert the cost over two years. There had never been any discussion about two years (of funding).
“But where the costs have blown out, they’ve used some creative accounting.”
At a council meeting last month, major projects acting director Craig Cinquegrana said the project’s original cost was $5.5 million, blown out partly to a lack of competition in tender submissions.
After hearing the recission motion was scrapped, a pleased Cr Sean O’Reilly said “I hoped people would see reason in the end.”
“Things are back on track.”
He said in future, council officers would build in “contingency budgets” to take into account larger than expected costs after projects go out to tender.
“Everyone including council officers, councillors and clubs were surprised by the outcome from the market on the costs of rebuilding the Ross Reserve track.
“We can’t do anything about that. If that’s what it costs, that’s what it costs.”
The next stage would be upgrading the changerooms, which was “planned but not funded”, Cr O’Reilly said.
“Given the amount of expenditure around that (Ross Reserve) area, it would be too much to do everything at once.”
The 40-year-old synthetic rubberised track has been regarded as a safety hazard, with two Masters runners breaking their arms after tripping on loose flapping sections in 2021.
Both elderly women were hospitalised.
Since then, athletics clubs have closed off several lanes due to the track’s puddling and uplifted sections. It was been frequently repaired in patches since its resurfacing in 2012.
The venue is used by Springvale Little Athletics Club, Dandenong Springvale Athletics Club and Springvale Masters Athletics Clubs, as well as schools.
They say the venue is unfit to hold competitions due to the state of the track.
Clubs have been told to vacate within weeks so works can start on what’s expected to be a 12-month project.
The track would continue the transformation of the precinct, included an upgraded football pavilion and funding for a $2.3 million synthetic soccer pitch next door.
The council’s 2022-’23 budget also provides $860,000 for three electronic scoreboards and renewed lighting on oval 2 and basketball court at Ross Reserve.
