Keep Moreland's reserves accessible for all

Moreland has the third lowest amount of green space per person in Melbourne, and sports fields constitute one-third of Moreland's open space, but less than 10% of residents play sport through a club. Moreland's ovals and grass pitches are popular for many different types of activities. For the past 12 months, residents living around Hosken Reserve in Merlynston (Coburg North) have been urging council to balance their needs with those of tenant soccer club, Pascoe Vale FC, in council's new masterplan. However the draft plan made public in July adds a $250k, 300-seat grandstand to the existing locked soccer pitch in the south of Hosken and converts the only two remaining open spaces at the reserve to soccer pitches.

With council rezoning a large (1.74ha) industrial site right next to Hosken Reserve to residential, we're asking council to take a more reasonable planning approach to ensure Merlynston's growing population will always have access to their local green space, even when soccer training and games are occuring on weeknights and weekends. Under the plan thousands of surrounding residents will be left with a 40m wide strip of land wedged between the two new soccer pitches; residents feel this will be unwelcoming and insufficient for many of the activities they have enjoyed in the north half of Hosken Reserve for decades, such as dog walking, playing and gathering.

With green open space now more important than ever for health and wellbeing, we're asking you to support us in our appeal for a better, fairer outcome at Hosken Reserve in recognition of the important role sports fields play in keeping all Moreland residents active and healthy. Hosken Reserve is Merlynston's only large green space, it's not necessary to turn the whole space over to National Premier League clubs.

Sign this petition to ask Moreland councillors to support the following improvements to the Hosken Reserve plan, which will also save council money for other important projects:

1. East Field Community Park
Establish the east field as dedicated community parkland rather than a third soccer pitch. This will ensure Merlynston’s diverse, growing population continue to have open and available space for informal recreation, health and well-being activities and off-leash dog walking. Council's rezoning of the adjacent 1.74ha industrial site to residential and mixed use will add hundreds of residents. Establishing a park rather than a third soccer pitch at Hosken Reserve will heavily reduce the impact of atmospheric noise from nightly training on nearby residents.

This community park must be excluded from formal sport allocation, and proposed floodlights replaced with pedestrian lights. Moreland soccer clubs including Pascoe Vale FC should maximise use of the senior pitch at Richards Reserve, located 250m south in Coburg North’s industrial and events precinct. Richards Reserve is identified as a potential regional centre for NPL in the football facilities plan Moreland City Council has adopted, not Hosken Reserve.

2. A North Pitch That Balances Users’ Needs
The north pitch should be no larger than 96m x 63m, to protect the amenity and privacy of homes bordering the north pitch, and should be positioned where it will have the least impact on open space. This size still allows all levels of NPL soccer and the same number of concurrent junior games as the proposed 105m x 68m pitch. Lighting spill and acoustic infiltration impacts to adjacent residents must be audited and addressed through supplementary screening and noise reduction treatments. The proposed player’s race or high fencing behind the goals are not NPL requirements and will reduce local residents' access through the reserve.

3. Access and Connection From Linear Park
The proposed steps opposite Ulm St (west of Pallet St) should be replaced with an accessible path that is compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act and can perform as a continuation of Linear Park into Hosken Reserve, connecting to the public toilets and playground. The path must have a gradient that allows for all users, including those with limited mobility, parents with prams and children on bikes and scooters to safely enter/exit via Pallet St.

4. NPL Crowd Control
Add pedestrian entrance at the Bakers Rd end of the southern pitch to service planned NPL crowds and reduce the number of spectators entering north of the reserve, limiting the impact of visitor and vehicle movement on local residents. This request is consistent with Football Victoria’s requirement for a minimum two, well-separated exit points to enable safe and orderly departure of patrons and players from NPL venues.

5. Prioritise Safe Access For Kids
Remove the car parks that currently separate the east field (proposed community park) from the new ‘Active Recreation Zone’, to make the crossing safer for children and improve connection of the zone to the rest of the reserve.

Sign to tell Moreland councillors that you want them to:
-listen to residents
-protect green space
-support active recreation and wellbeing
-ensure access is inclusive and caters to all abilities
-show that residents' quality of life matters to them

Make sure to send councillors an email to let them know why this matters to you and why you have signed this petition before they vote on the future of the Hosken Reserve on 13 October 2021 - https://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/my-council/about-council/councillors/mayors-and-councillors/

You can see the draft plan on the council's webpage: https://conversations.moreland.vic.gov.au/hosken-reserve-masterplan-refresh