A DECISION to move the proposed cricket centre of excellence at Wade Park up to four metres west is likely to be reversed due to delays it could cause the project.
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Orange City Council considered a development application for the centre on Tuesday night.
Councillor Kevin Duffy asked to move it “two to three metres” to the west and later in the debate “three to four metres”, saying he wanted to ensure the playing surface could be expanded to the size of the Gabba in Brisbane.
Community services director Scott Maunder assured councillors the proposed location already allowed for widening to occur.
“You can’t go any further west because it would encroach on the existing grandstand,” he said.
“You don’t need to because you can extend on the east as well – locating the centre further west doesn’t create anymore space for the widening of the ground, it brings the centre closer to Lords Place, it takes out the trees so I’m not sure what the issue is to be honest.”
Cr Duffy still asked for more space.
“The existing grandstand there is out of date – if someone gets injured with a leg or something like that, they’ve got to hobble downstairs and they’re under those outside stairs – it is virtually obsolete,” he said.
“It needs to go further west to allow it to be what we want it to be.”
Councillor Stephen Nugent and councillors Joanne McRae and Russell Turner voted against the amendment, but were outvoted.
Cr Nugent supported the original location, saying only three trees would be lost compared to seven as part of a former, larger design.
“They’re the less significant trees,” he said.
Lords Place resident Margot Church said objectors were perplexed by the resolution, given they previously opposed the centre being closer to the Lords Place fence.
“It was appalling – we should be asked again, it’s a different DA,” she said.
“We couldn’t get through on the parking – we don’t care about big games, we’re talking about [not being able to park on] business days and they’re saying they’re going to be using the facility during the week.”
Cr Turner confirmed he hoped to submit a rescission motion.
“This has gone on for a number of years and if we move it, it would have to be readvertised and I don’t want to do that,” he said.
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