By Benjamin Millar
Plans to build a soccer training academy on public land along the Maribyrnong River have split the Footscray community.
Melbourne Victory, Australia’s largest soccer club, last year revealed plans to build an $18 million women’s and youth academy in heritage-listed Footscray Park.
Supporters of the proposal say it will bring a welcome boost to the area’s young people, but opponents say the development would lock up rare open parkland essential to meeting the needs of a booming population.
Save Footscray Park protestors have organised a community rally outside the Maribyrnong council offices to coincide with the July 23 council meeting.
Gemma Cafarella said the group reflects growing concerns about rare open parkland being used to build three floodlit synthetic and turf soccer pitches and a 500-person grandstand.
Ms Cafarella said assurances the community would still be able to use two of the pitches are misleading, as the 40 hours per week Melbourne Victory would use them would likely clash with times the community wanted access.
“There is also a serious concern about the way council has consulted, or failed to consult,” she said.
“People are worried the council has already decided to go ahead with this.”
Ms Cafarella said opponents are not against Melbourne Victory setting up an academy in the inner-west, but want the club to use private rather than public land.
Despite the groundswell of opposition to the proposal, the project has a number of backers who want to see it realised.
African-Australian Multicultural Employment and Youth Services (AAMEYS) chair Phil Brooker said the Football Academy would provide local young people with new opportunities to engage via football.
“One constant challenge is to provide culturally diverse young people with meaningful opportunities in both sport and life,” he said. Mr Brooker said the academy would create employment opportunities as well as pathways to play soccer at higher levels.
Maribyrnong Council is accepting submissions on the proposal via cd@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au
