Greater Dandenong Council is set to divert $241,000 into boosting a once-doomed little athletics centre in Dandenong and other sports facilities.
At one stage, the funds were being allocated to “decommission” the Dandenong Little Athletics Club (DLAC) facilities at Robert Booth Reserve.
Later in June, the council were set to consider a $100,000 masterplan to weigh up the facility’s future.
But in a tweak to its 2025-’26 budget, the council will now allocate $45,000 for a new sprinkler system for the grass athletics track, new signage and any other immediate repairs at the reserve.
The council allocated the remainder for lighting at Springvale North Tennis Club ($116,000) and nets behind netball goals at Springvale Reserve ($80,000).
DLAC president David Daff welcomed the upgrades, especially after kids were doing bucket runs to water the turf last summer due to broken sprinklers.
He has been fighting for the club’s survival since the council voted in 2019 to merge and relocate the club to Ross Reserve, Noble Park.
In the past two years, DLAC’s membership has doubled to 69.
The club has now received a reprieve – under a “modified activities” program – for at least one more season at Robert Booth.
“The most significant positive is the council taking the demolition off the table,” Daff says.
“We’re looking forward to the next lot of discussions to make it more attractive, to get more people into the sport.”
Daff said the council’s ban on school athletics carnivals at Robert Booth was “counter-intuitive” – given the modified activities wouldn’t impede the events.
He also wants to see details behind the council’s estimates of $416,000 to fix the facility’s “high-risk” areas and $250,000-plus to fix the track’s drainage.
A full track reconstruction was estimated to cost $2 million-plus in 2019, according to the council.
The 2025-26 budget changes came as a result of 39 public submissions.
Mayor Jim Memeti said the “responsible and measured” budget committed to facilities such as Dandenong Wellbeing Centre and Dandenong New Art gallery.
“We’ve managed to keep the average rate increase for residential properties at just 0.11 per cent, noting the cost-of-living pressures faced by residents.”
The council proposes a 0.79 per cent hike in rates and waste charges – on average $12 per household. The median bill will be about $1550 – including a $516 waste charge.
The rise for households is well below the State Government’s 3 per cent rate cap.
