Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Cheong Park reserve is home to the South Croydon football and cricket clubs. The seniors football club is in Division 1 of the EFL, which is a testament to the hard work and skills of the players, coaches and administration of the club. Cheong Park is a well-used local sporting ground that is desperately in need of new infrastructure. I have been along there to see the state of the oval and the pavilion both on game days and at quieter times during the week.

I was taken around the facilities by Stephen Quon, the president of the South Croydon Football Club. He showed me some of the things that they have to put up with on a weekly basis when the club has its players along for a game or during the week when they are just training. Of course, it is not only the players but also the umpires, the volunteers and the supporters who keep local clubs like South Croydon growing. I went along to the ground on 7 August this year to see for myself what it was like. I can tell you that there was hardly a blade of grass on the ground. The entire ground was a mud hole, except for a little bit of grass in one of the forward pockets. The players were just covered in mud. They were all dark brown. You really could not tell who was on which side. Even worse than that, it is a special type of mud. It is the sort of mud that really stinks, so not only were they dirty but they smelled pretty bad too.

I also had a look at the pavilion and the facilities within it. Being built in the early 1970s, like so many pieces of infrastructure in my electorate of Deakin, it is seriously out of date. It does not have modern change facilities. It does not have female facilities. It does not have disability access. Of course, the club is successful, so its pavilion is now way too small. So during the federal election campaign it was with great pleasure that I was able to convey Labor’s commitment of $250,000 to upgrade Cheong Park, an announcement that was greatly welcomed.

Just last week the ALP’s candidate for the state electorate of Kilsyth, Vicki Setches, announced that a re-elected Brumby Labor government would provide an additional $500,000 for upgrading the pavilion and to provide female change rooms along with lights for night training. I have known Vicki for many years. Vicki is a fantastic, hardworking local. She advocates very well for her community and she would be a great advocate for Kilsyth as the new member for Kilsyth. I wish Vicki every success at this Saturday’s Victorian state election and note that, whichever way the result goes, Vicki will still be there working to improve our local community and sporting facilities.