Oval to squeeze out teams

Sports teams who use Waverley Oval could face price increases and limited availability upon completion of the Oval and Pavilion revamp.

Waverley Council is close to completing the $9.4 million development which has been underway since April 2010.  Council has in recent weeks welcomed Expressions of Interest to use the new facilities, but have yet to confirm how much rates will rise.

Some are uncertain about how it will impact their access. President of Bondi United Rugby Alan Lewis said: “They seem to be taking a very commercial approach: the worry is they are blocking local clubs. We are a community club. No one gets paid, we’ve been playing there for the better part of 60 years, and they are now forcing us into signing contracts.”

The project, which has been in planning since 2006, is Waverley Council’s most ambitious public works initiative to date. It will include a new multi-purpose indoor sports court, larger function rooms, kitchen and bar facilities, and a new grandstand.

Current users vary from financially-backed teams to local sports teams, school carnivals and fitness groups. Users either pay a licensed annual fee or an hourly or daily rate. Under the new scheme, teams will be expected to submit Expressions of Interest and pay a license fee for seasonal use of the Pavilion.

When asked if access prices will increase, Kate Brown of Waverley Recreation, Planning and Partnerships said: “Yes of course. They are different facilities, and demand in the Eastern Suburbs has always been high. We are expecting a lot of interest in this facility.”

There is concern over whether the new process could see smaller teams squeezed due to increased competition for training times and the likely rate increase.

Easts Cricket club spokesperson Glen McCanna is looking forward to the new facilities, but is also still wondering how it will impact his club.

“A new grandstand can only be a benefit to the wider community, but we are still unsure of the pricing,” he said. “We have applied, but haven’t been communicated to from the council yet.”

Ms Brown told The Bondi View: “We haven’t come to any conclusions. We don’t anticipate any significant  increases, though any Expressions of Interest have a degree of uncertainty. We are quite open to the types of users. We won’t be locking people out.”

Expressions of interest for the Winter 2012 season closed October 12 and decisions are expected to be made over the course of the summer.

By Rachel Zerr