MORE than $7 million was earmarked for spending on the Queen Elizabeth Oval in the next three years as the City of Greater Bendigo consolidated it as the region’s premier sports facility, a June 2004 Advertiser article reported.The much-needed $1.3 million restoration of the playing surface would not begin until at least July 2006, or until water restrictions were softened.
The existing internal refurbishment of the heritage-listed grandstand, worth $224,000, was expected to be completed by the end of July or in time for the 2004 finals at the latest, Advertiser writer Anthony Radford explained.
The figures were part of the council’s forward estimates seen before the end of June that year by Radford and senior Advertiser staffers.
Top of the QEO wish-list was the council’s proposed $4.2 million contribution to the multi-use facility and change rooms, abutting the QEO and the adjacent Bendigo Aquatic Centre.
The money had been budgeted to be spent in 2005-06 along with a $500,000 government grant.
The council was also about to spend $300,000 on a new scoreboard between July 2004 and early 2007 and $369,000 on much-needed external works to the grandstand by financial year 2006-07.
RADFORD and other print media journalists obtained the figures ahead of a council meeting which was to outline the draft budget for that year.
“More than $780,000 of the work was to be released in the draft,” Radford wrote.
It was part of a massive $4.659 million in recreation spending set down for the 2004-05 financial year.
“More than $1.1 million of that is funding from external sources, such as government grants.
“About $2.4 million was set aside for the purchase of land at Strathfieldsaye, Epsom and Maiden Gully to build ovals.”
About $1.5 million was to be spent on developments at the three reserves and go towards the re-development of the Golden Square clubrooms, destroyed by a 2003 fire.
The then Diamond Hill ward councillor Alan Besley (later tipped out of office) said the delays in the ground resurfacing at the QEO had been caused by the lack of water.
“We need to do it in spring. The works have been on the cards for two years,” he said.
“The work at the QEO includes the restoration of the playing surface, underground drainage, new irrigation and a sprinkler system.”
IT SEEMS it’s not a proper footy season unless the poor old QEO cops some flak --- from officials, players, the media or all of them simultaneously.
Six weeks before Radford penned his story on the ground’s refurbishment, the QEO centre area had been roundly criticized by VFL coaches.
In mid-May 2004, Bendigo Bombers’ coach Peter Banfield and Port Melbourne coach Gerard Fitzgerald both voiced concern about the state of the centre square.
For the round 7 VFL clash --- won by Port by one kick, 15.13 (103) to Bendigo’s 14.13 (97) – the centre square was in a boggy condition.
After the Friday night senior BFL game between South Bendigo and Sandhurst the centre square had been watered.
Banfield was furious when he turned up on the Saturday. “We’re a running team and when I turned up I saw a bogheap in the centre of the park when there’s drought on and there had been no rain,” he said.
“I just can’t understand why the centre wicket area was boggy on Saturday especially when it was in good nick on the Friday night,” he added.
“We’re playing in the second best competition in Australia and the council needs to look at strategies to ensure the QEO surface, including the centre wicket, is the best it can possibly be.
Fitzgerald shared the same views and concerns as Banfield.
“I said to quite a few people before we went up to Bendigo that we were going to play on a beautiful surface.
“I was disappointed when I got there. I thought the condition of the centre square was something which was quite controllable,” said the Port coach.
“When the game is going to be telecast on ABC-TV and we’re going through one of the driest periods ever in this state, no doubt there would have been a host of people wondering why the centre square was wet.”
City of Greater Bendigo director of community services Barry Secombe was the man in the hot seat back then --- and he’s still answering questions about the QEO.
On the May 2004 watering of the centre square he said: “My understanding is the intention is not to water it to the extent it becomes a slop heap, but to water it so it can be rolled to allow for a surface that’s playable.”
A year earlier, in late August 2003, the QEO had been in such a boggy state that it hosted just one of the first four BFL finals matches that season.
SO what has happened in the five years since Radford’s 2004 report? Well, last week the Bendigo Bombers’ QEO home games for the remainder of 2009 were scrubbed.
The central Victorian VFL side will play all its remaining home matches at Essendon’s Windy Hill.
There is a new scoreboard in the Camp Hill pocket of the ground, the grandstand has had something of a facelift and there is a new multi-purpose change rooms building adjacent to the Aquatic Centre.
It’s not a multi-storey structure as originally proposed. This followed a successful appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal by a group of concerned Barnard St. and Bancroft St. residents. Among other findings, VCAT ruled in late 2004 the heritage overlay of the area could not be compromised.
Richard’s tips for Round 14. July 18th: Kangaroo Flat, Golden Square, South Bendigo. July 25th: Castlemaine, Strathfieldsaye.
Season total: 54.
By Richard Jones
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