Brookvale Park's future in public hands

[ManlyBacker]

RATEPAYERS are being asked how Warringah Council should fund the redevelopment and upkeep of Brookvale Park, home of the Manly Sea Eagles.


Read the full article

 

[Earnie the Eagle]

This thread is probably best left for actual ratepayers to comment as they will be the one that this will effect more than other Manly supporters.

 

[Canteen Worker]

I declare that I am not a ratepayer in the Warringah Council area.

However, to ask the local ratepayers to fund development is ridiculous. It would be much better in State Government hands or operated by a Trust. it needs urgent redevelopment or wil become a White Elephant. The NIMBYs have way too much say at present and so decisive action is required.

 

[Brookie4eva]

Warringah Council is a joke, as most people are aware, so Brookie Oval being looked after by the Government or a Trust would be the only way I could see it staying as the long term home of Manly.

If the Council continue to be (ir)responsible for the place, I think we all know it won't be long before we have to find a new home, which would be a sad sad day.

 

[DSM5]

Agreed. The Warringah rating base is to small to continue to develop Brookvale to an acceptable stadium level. The y just don't have the money. Unlike the Sydney City Council, with its city rating base (They spent $20million on Redfern), the local council don't have the financial clout to do the job. A Trust is the best option.

 

[tookey]

Give the oval to the govt and have a trust run it. Warringah council don't have the money or will to develop it properly.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Just where has the hands of the public been ??

 

[Phantar]

It might help if there were only one (as logically there should be) LGAs representing the northern beaches. The combined population of Manly, Warringah and Pittwater (until around 1991/92 the 'A Riding' of Warringah Shire) is around 235,000 and still growing.

In the meantime, Council should be doing all it can to get some money for incremental improvements to the ground. New seating around the perimeter and on the northern hill and a bigger eastern hill are achievable for relatively small amounts of money. I don't see either council amalgamations and/or a 'Brookvale Park Trust' coming to fruition anytime soon.

 

[BOZO]

A world champion club , the pride of the Northern Beaches and we dont get support from the council or the govt to have the facilities that a champion club deserves. What a ****ing disgrace.

 

[zambuck]

this council should be sacked brookvale oval was bequeathed to warringah council many years ago and all residents could have free use of said land at any time, the restrictions were unless used as the show or football games that charged an entry fee .This council has been getting revenue from the shows and clubs for years so where has the revenue gone. Years ago they had a permanent grounds man living there and this ground was a show piece, but since they got rid of him and now use their ground staff the place has gone backwards, the residents should vote this incompetent mob out at the next election or call upon the state government to check the books to find out who,s lining who's pockets as the money is not getting spent on our oval

 

[Christol74]

This really makes my blood boil. Someone from this council is surely going to end up in jail sooner or later.

How much time and money have they already wasted on nevereding community consultations regarding Brookvale over the past three years. In every one the response from the community could not have been any more clear cut. The only person on the online community forum against keeping Brookvale as the Eagles home ground was a councillor who refused to officially disclose this fact to the online community. Its one of the most disturbing abuses of power I have ever seen as this lone crusader posted daily attacks against every member of the Warringah community that presented their ideas for the upgrade. What she didn't do was actually officially disclose who she was and what her position was. If that is not a blatant abuse of power I don't know what is. It should have resulted in immediate disciplinary action.

Whilst this never-ending time wasting was happening in relation to Brookvale, this council was spending 10's of millions on walking tracks, bike lanes and now 'community' Gestapo gardens. These projects attracted virtually no response during the community consultation process because nobody wanted them, needed them or asked for them. Amazingly, the council actually managed to apply for and receive millions in Federal Funding for some of these projects under the 'Community Infrastructure Grants' programme prior to doing any community consultation.

This funding was organised at the peak of the Federal Stimulas frenzy and at the same time they were applying for it they were running this farce Brookvale Park consultation asking people who should pay for the upgrade. Warringah got their walkways while Newcastle, St George and the Gold Coast applied for and received 10's of millions to upgrade their Stadiums under this exact same grant at the exact same time.

Oh yeah, where is that balance of the $6mil in funding provided by the former State Labor Government for Brookvale? I don't know where it is but I can definitely tell you where you won't find it. Don't bother looking through any of Warringah Councils public budget papers or balance sheets because you won't find it there.

 

[Fluffy]

Good to see that a trust is an option and a preferred one. It would then allow Manly to support the ground through the trust a lot more as well as remove minority group control.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Keep fighting the good fight Christol74.