The Council Assessment Panel this week supported a compromise recently reached between the Clubs, Neighbouring Residents and Council.

New Goodwood Oval Clubroom

The ERD Court however must ratify the decision. I understand that, rather than go to the Court, this will be done administratively by the Court. Expect therefore, confirmation within the next week.

.

The detail of the changes and the negotiations between the parties remain confidential, until such time as the ERD court rubber stamp the approval. Whilst, by my take, the changes are minor from a planning perspective the compromises should please everyone.

The residents will benefit. The original design would have provided them a model with less interference than the model that exists today. The changes, brokered by them, will provide even greater protections to their amenity.

Changes focused mostly around disturbance to the local amenity. In each case the changes have been included as conditions to approval. They should ensure that disturbances from club activity are kept to an absolute minimum.

To see the list of conditions, check out item 13 on page 11 of the minutes from the CAP meeting held on Tuesday this week.

The Clubs can now plan their futures, both the short term and the long term. In the short term, they will be able to confirm to the sporting bodies with whom they belong the availability of the Goodwood Oval facility. The next cricket season, soon to start, and next year’s football season can now be programmed with certainty.

Council likewise can now plan for construction, also with certainty. Goodwood Oval Clubroom a Go-er for all to see as 2020 kicks in.

In order to expedite the project and meet the time conditions of the State Government Grant, Council has commenced with preparing working drawings and preparing the engineering design work. Once complete we can call tenders from Builders. We can proceed to construction once the final costs are known and any extra funding sourced that may be required once the costs are known.

Our aim will be to accept a tender before Christmas. This will allow construction in the new year.