The original location nominated for the cricket centre was approved on Wednesday night after initially approving a two to four-metre move to the west a month ago and then delaying a rescission motion.

The council will also conduct a review of the existing western grandstand and report back on options and costs for refurbishment to current standards.

Staff said changing the location would affect the future potential to add more training lanes and sightlines to the field, as well as delay the project for several months while new plans were assessed and exhibited. 

Councillor Stephen Nugent said widening the field to 135 metres would put it at the larger end of the spectrum, with AFL fields ranging from 116 metres to 145 metres.

“My understanding is that would put Wade Park at 165 by 135 metres, which places it very close to the Gabba at 138 by 156,” he said.

Community services director Scott Maunder indicated the funding expenditure was overdue and there was “every risk” of losing it, with councillor Joanne McRae emphasising it needed to be spent. 

“Like with parents handing out pocket money, we’ve been whinging that the other kids are getting more, but when we’re offered some, we don’t know what to do with it or we’re not sure where to spend it and so it sits there,” she said. 

Councillor Kevin Duffy, who initially believed the cricket centres location would not allow the field to grow, said grandstand facilities played a key role in deciding which grounds held major sporting games.

“There’s nothing there,” he said. 

“A player has to walk 100 metres to practise on the turf wicket, that’s a problem – at Albury-Wodonga, they walk straight out and they’re on.”

He also expressed concerns about widening the ground to the east.

“From the picket fence to Peisley Street is 19 metres,” he said.

“What are you going to have on that eastern side by the time you allow for carriageways and those types of things?”

However councillor Tony Mileto said grandstands were typically built on the western side to avoid sunlight glare for patrons.

“Hence the reason why no one sits there at this point in time and hence the reason why we have portable grandstands so we don’t have an overflow of people,” he said.