Kyneton Football Netball Club netballers are facing another season using a mouldy shed as their changerooms.
Club president Hayden Evans has slammed a delay to the promised redevelopment of the netball facilities at the Kyneton Showgrounds.
The state government awarded the project $1.5 million and Macedon Ranges Shire Council issued a planning permit last September for the works to redevelop the netball courts and build new changerooms.
However, objectors have since lodged an appeal at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over the planned removal 10 non-native trees.
Mr Evans said he was exhausted trying to fight for better facilities for the netballers.
“We have 70 girls using one court and getting changed in a mouldy shed with rats and mice,” he said.
“We have probably the worst netball facilities in the state.
“We’re sick off waiting, we’re sick of non-action, it just can’t continue.
“We’ll lose young girls from playing because they can’t actually train and they’re all using the one court.”
Mr Evans said he had asked the council to provide portable changerooms until the matter was resolved.
Council’s director of assets and operations, Shane Walden, said the council agreed that the existing netball facilities at Kyneton Showgrounds were not what players expected or deserved.
“Council has been pushing for some time, in collaboration with the KFNC and the Victorian Government, for external funding to support its redevelopment,” Mr Walden said.
“We’ve been taking all the necessary planning and design steps to get a proposed redevelopment started as soon as practical.
“We’re working to finalise detailed designs and we issued a planning permit that included the necessary removal of 10 boundary trees of varied health in consideration of an independent arborist report.
“A member of the public objected to the decision and the objection was due to be heard at VCAT this year, however we are awaiting advice from VCAT as to whether the original permit is still required.”
Mr Walden said there had been an approved amendment to the broader Planning Scheme since the permit was initially approved by council, allowing an exemption to a planning permit if vegetation removal was not within 30 metres of a waterway or was being facilitated by council.
“We believe the permit is no longer necessary as a result,” he said.
“We will have a better idea of construction timelines and next steps once this is resolved with VCAT.”
“Player safety is a priority and council officers proactively identified a mould issue at the pavilion as part of seasonal changeover inspections earlier this month, with this issue addressed by contractors last Tuesday.”
Mr Walden said the council would continue discussions with the club on how it could support them in this interim period.
