Sports win

By Bridget Brady
HAMPTON Park residents are claiming a win for their “neglected” town, after Casey council adopted a $2.6 million master plan to revamp a run-down sports reserve.
The massive redevelopment of Cairns Road Recreation Reserve in Hampton Park was victory for the town River Gum Ward councillor Lynette Keleher described as “the poor cousin of Casey”.
The upgrades will include a new oval, athletics facilities and upgrades to derelict club and change rooms, which the council said was the most urgent component of the master plan.
The change rooms double up as clubrooms for members of the Hampton Park Junior Football Club, and they put down a roller door on game day to separate the home and away sides.
Cairns Road Recreation Reserve committee of management president and Hampton Park resident Erica Maliki said she was delighted the master plan was accepted, but the challenge of securing funding still remained.
The council had committed $500,000 to the upgrade, but Ms Maliki said “a massive fight” still existed for the committee to gain state and federal government funding.
“We’re halfway here now and I’m really happy with the plans that were put to council,” she said.
The new, smaller oval will be a welcome addition for junior players, including Under 9s, who currently play their matches on an AFL-sized field.
“The pavilion will be a lot more useful. We struggle every week with the facilities down there.
“This will uplift everybody. We’ve always been pretty underprivileged down here and a multi-million dollar sports facility is going to make people proud.”
River Gum Ward councillor Lynette Keleher said the entire Hampton Park community felt the upgrade and attention to their town was well overdue and said the whole community could use the reserve.
“I’m over the moon. It’s been a long time coming. These people have been waiting so long for a second oval,” Cr Keleher said.
The reserve is home to four different sporting clubs and nearby Hampton Park Secondary College, and the council said managing the use of the multi-purpose sports ground would be a major issue.
“The (football) club is really the heart of this town. We need to make up for lost ground.”
Cr Keleher said the football club was in danger of losing its players to clubs in other towns because of better facilities, so the master plan went a long way to ensure the club would remain a popular choice for families.
“This is about instilling self-esteem into this community. There is still a battle that has to be fought, but we are progressing which is the most important thing.”