by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A sewerage stink continues to bedevil sports clubs at the recently-opened $11.26 million Ross Reserve Pavilion in Noble Park.
During the weekend of 12-13 May, Keysborough Soccer Club reported a “sewerage smell” in the changerooms with none of the pavilion’s toilets having water to flush.
The council’s city futures executive director Sanjay Manivasagasivam says there was no water supply due to an “issue with the water mains” between 8-13 May.
“This lack of water supply would have resulted in a re-occurrence of the odour issue.”
That problem has since been resolved, he says.
The council has recently hired “external specialists” to investigate a persistent stench, which has lingered at the pavilion since at least February.
“(Council) is now in the process of making some minor plumbing rectifications which are expected to resolve the issue,” Mr Manivasagasivam said.
At a March council meeting, Cr Tim Dark recently described the building as “borderline unusable”.
“It’s basically encompassing the whole pavilion – the changeroom smells, the kitchen smells, the main area stinks of raw sewerage.”
Cr Dark said last week that council officers had so far “not been forthcoming” about the source. And the smell continued to be “overwhelming” and “unbearable” for players and spectators inside and outside the building.
“For a brand new pavilion, it’s concerning that they can’t find the issue.
“It’s extremely expensive. Given we’ve paid so much for it, the pavilion has a long-term functionality issue just months after opening it.”
In October, the long-awaited $11.26 million pavilion and lighting upgrade was unveilled.
The new pavilion features six female-friendly change rooms, first aid rooms, three all-gender umpires’ rooms, accessible toilets, meeting rooms, a canteen and storage spaces.
The facility caters for 300 players from Springvale City Soccer Club, Noble Park Junior Football Club, Sandown Lions Football Club and EMC Sports Club, as well as Parkfield and Noble Park cricket clubs and RecLink.
