by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Dandenong athletics field is on the chopping-block, leaving dozens of kids and families potentially without a track and the loss of their “family club”.
The Robert Booth Reserve Athletics Facility, with its lush grass running track, long jump pits, discus, shot put and javelin fields, has been home to Dandenong Little Athletics Club (DLAC) for the past 40 years.
However, Greater Dandenong Council says it’s “not feasible” to keep the facility. After this coming season, the council has advised the club to move somewhere else.
The nearest option is to share the newly upgraded Ross Reserve athletics track with Springvale Little Athletics Club – about a 90 minute round-trip away by public transport.
Moving would destroy the club, says DLAC president David Daff.
He estimated that half of the families and members would drop out due to not having the time or means to relocate.
“The kids will have nothing.”
Many of the kids live close to Booth Reserve, walking and riding their bikes down to the track after school.
Some of the nearby members don’t have cars.
Others have been at DLAC for four generations and live as far away as Officer and Cranbourne. Travelling to Ross Reserve is a suburb too far.
One of the club parents Colin said he and his under-9s son Charlie would have to quit the “family club”.
Currently, Charlie trains twice a week plus competing in sprints at regional comps on Saturdays.
“It’s just around the corner. It’s a great club, a family club,” Colin says.
“Charlie has made a lot of friendships. Everyone knows everyone, everyone helps to set up and clean up. It has a country town feeling.
“Fingers crossed it stays open.”
Rita’s son Joydeep has been training in track and field events at DLAC for three years. He loves the grass track, and he’s made many friends.
Rita says travelling to Ross Reserve was “not even an option”.
“It’s too far. It’s too hard to use the public transport to get there
“(Booth Reserve) is just a five-minute bike ride.”
Another of the club’s volunteers is former teacher Vijay, who vouches for the great physical and mental health benefits for the kids.
Club member Chandrashekhar points to the friendly, encouraging atmosphere. Everyone looks out for each other, and the kids love it, he says.
In July, the club won regional and state awards from Little Athletics Victoria for recording the largest membership growth.
It doubled its membership from 32 to 66 last year, and was aiming for 100 this season, Daff said.
“One of the changes is that we expect all parents to be involved every week,” he said.
“As a result we have no issues with parents volunteering and the biggest committee I’ve seen in the past 12 years.
“We’ve also introduced a weekly award for kids based on them beating their personal bests.”
Daff is proud of club’s “multicultural” membership, illustrated by the six different types of sausages cooked at its barbecues.
For families doing it tough, the $200 annual membership fee is waived – thanks to a state sports grant – to make sure kids can stay involved.
In order to stay at Booth Reserve, the DLAC has offered to help maintain, upgrade and repair the facility, or to share the venue with other sports.
However, Daff understands that Greater Dandenong intends to convert the venue into a passive recreation space.
Ahead of October’s council elections, Cleeland Ward candidates have got behind the club.
Greens candidate Rhonda Garad says there’s no rational reason to kill the facility.
“It’s doing an injustice to these kids
“For the council to ride roughshod and not pay attention to those connecting elements – it shows the council doesn’t understand what it takes to make a community.
“Meanwhile we see the council grandstanding and saying parents should know where their children are.”
Garad says it wouldn’t cost much to keep the venue open.
“It just needs to have the grass (track and field) mown.
“We want kids in sport. Why would we interfere with that?”
Cleeland Ward ALP sitting-councillor Angela Long said she’d also work to keep the club at Booth Reserve.
“Children need to participate in sport so that they can learn to be a responsible team member and maybe not roam the streets and get into trouble.
“If re-elected in the council election I will work with the club to remain at Booth Reserve. Children need to be an active member of a sporting group.”
Last week, Springvale North incumbent Sean O’Reilly warned about the “forgotten” people near the boundaries of Greater Dandenong and neighbouring councils.
He suggested that City of Casey – which is a long javelin’s throw from Booth Reserve – could help with the venue’s upkeep.
Greater Dandenong Council’s 2019 athletics development plan found that “it was not feasible to service two athletics facilities in Greater Dandenong”, says community strengthening executive director Peta Gillies.
It also concluded that “the completion of the $6.6 million Ross Reserve Athletics Facility would result in the decommissioning of Robert Booth Reserve Athletics Facility”.
The athletics club was one of many local groups consulted on the plan, Gillies said.
“We are committed to ongoing consultation with the club and other ground users regarding the future implementation of our decision.
“In the meantime, Dandenong Little Athletics Club has been allocated use of the ground for the 2024-‘25 athletics season.”
