Shire manages Traf precinct

The Trafalgar recreation precinct will be now managed by Baw Baw Shire Council.

The section 86 management committee has been abandoned so that the precinct can be managed by council.

Recreation precinct user groups including the cricket club, football netball club, boxing Gym, Gippsland Football Club, Trafalgar Victory Football Club and Trafalgar Lions Club.

Council made the decision to disband the committee of management last year and has been working with the former committee and user groups.

After failing to attract any interest in the appointment of an independent chairperson, council continued to manage the reserve.

A report to council said council officers had managed the reserve since March 2016 and feedback from the former committee and user groups had been positive.

Council officers chaired eight meetings with user group representatives from each club plus community representatives.

The report to council said the meetings were well attended and well received by the representatives.

Councillors were briefed on the matter in August. Officers said at the time, the six user groups expressed different opinions on the best management model for the precinct.

Further consultation and discussion about management models was held with the Trafalgar Cricket Club and Trafalgar Football Netball Club has been completed.

The two clubs indicated their preferred management model was for council to manage the reserve directly with the football and cricket clubs continuing to maintain the oval and oval surrounds.

All clubs and user groups are in favour of council managing the reserve directly.

The report to council said the currently disbanded committee received a maintenance allocation of $9502 for maintenance of the reserve. This excludes the soccer precinct which council maintains.

The preferred management option proposed this allocation will be paid into a nominated club account to manage the maintenance of the oval and oval surrounds.

It also was proposed that the cricket and football netball clubs will not pay a fee under the pricing policy as they will be responsible for the maintenance of the oval and oval surrounds.

Other clubs at the facility will pay a fee as per the pricing policy.

Cr Peter Kostos said the two clubs had been managing maintenance of the recreation reserve and agreed to this proposed management structure.

He said it was a good outcome for the clubs and user groups.

Cr Michael Leaney said there had been considerable consultation on this matter.

He said the preferred management option would see split equity, and it was not entirely up to council to look after the site.

“The previous section 86 committee had become unworkable so this is a better situation and the clubs will take on the maintenance so it doesn’t fall behind,” he said.