Bayside Council needs to consider all users of the park, and how the park is used. By proposing to upgrade just the sportsfield into a synthetic soccer field, they have not taken the whole of the park into consideration. The plans only considered two options.
1. Do nothing
2. Build a synthetic soccer field
Why is this important?
Gardiner Park is in a floodway and because of this the proposed soccer field will sit 1.2 metres higher than the current field. It has to be free of dirt, soil, leaves and other organic materials to remain impervious. Synthetic fields also heat up by 15 degrees once the temperature hits 30 degrees - not only impacting the health of the players but the residents who will live besides this heat box.
Bayside Council has failed to take into account the residents who live along the three sides of the park, or other residents who use the park to walk across to get home or to the train station.
Bayside has just signed the Barton Park upgrade at $31 million where multiple sports fields are being constructed. The Banksia Tigers are using Riverine Park, in the same suburb, for training. There are plenty of other fields in Banksia and we ask for Gardiner to remain an open grassed space for the residents and sport teams.
How it will be delivered
The petition was delivered to Bayside Council by Councillor Tsounis. We are yet to hear a response.