by Sahar Foladi
Firefighters were called to a building fire at Springvale Reserve on Tuesday 5 November.
According to an Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson, a caller reported a building on fire on Newcomen Road via a Triple Zero call at 8.48pm.
Fire fighters attended the scene within five minutes to find a fire within a small brick storage shed.
The scene was deemed under control at 8.57pm.
Victoria Police was on the scene.
The cause of the fire is undetermined and is not being treated as suspicious, FRV stated.
The reserve is home to the Springvale Football and Netball club (SFNC). Its president Greg Scott says the shed is known in the community to be a “meeting spot” for illegal activities.
He says the issue was raised with Greater Dandenong Council and Victoria Police.
“They should’ve been moved on months ago because they bring unwelcome guests to the area. They deal drugs out of there and so forth.
“People have been living there dealing drugs for months.”
He says the “locked shed” contained no club valuables or commodities.
“It’s got nothing to do with the club.
“It’s in the council plans to be removed anyway so it has fast-tracked that. It’s probably a good thing for the community.”
Greater Dandenong Council chief executive officer Jacqui Weatherill said the council-owned shed was a former ticket box that “user groups used it for match day events.”
She denies that the shed had become home to people who dealt with illicit drugs.
“The shed will be demolished as a result of the damage caused by the fire. Our first priority was to make the site safe for user groups and the wider public.
“We will work with contractors to remove the shed as a priority.”
The Springvale Reserve Master Plan will see a significant overhaul with new netball courts, playground, public toilets, upgrading sports oval lighting, upgrading change rooms and social pavilion, and introducing new walking paths.
The plan was adopted by the council in October 2023 after community consultation, according to the council’s website timeline. There have been no further updates.
