Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

WAVERLEY PARK: GOVERNMENT MUST DECLARE ITS HAND

News Release - Wednesday, 18 April 2001

The State Government must immediately declare where it stands on its pre-election promise to keep Waverley Park as an AFL venue, the Shadow Minister for Planning, Robert Clark, said today.

The call follows reports that the AFL will begin advertising next month to sell Waverley Park, after reaching agreement with the City of Monash and Heritage Victoria for the partial demolition of the stadium and the redevelopment of the site for residential, commercial or light industrial use.

Mr Clark said that the Government's indecision and inaction to date had not kept AFL football at Waverley Park but instead had produced a vandalised, run-down eye sore and imposed heavy costs on the AFL and thus on football clubs and fans.

In its 1999 election policy Labor promised:

If elected Labor will begin negotiations with the AFL and other parties involved with Waverley Park, and pursue every option to keep Waverley Park in operation for the community. …

Preliminary legal advice indicates that the State Government has substantial powers to save Waverley Park from closure. These include the power to re-zone the land as a site of significance to the community, and powers under the MCG trust and Docklands Authority Acts to limit the number of games at these venues to enable more fixtures to be scheduled at Waverley. This contradicts the Premiers' claims that the matter is one for the AFL alone and the State Government has no role.

In the first week of a Bracks Labor Government, Labor will call in the AFL and all other parties involved with Waverley Park to begin negotiations to keep Waverley Park in operation for the community. (Living Suburbs - Labor's plan for the future of the South East Growth Corridor)

"The AFL has now proceeded a long way down the path towards finally ending any prospect of Waverley Park remaining as a mainstream AFL venue.

"The Government are now at the cross-roads. Either they are going to honour their promise or they are not. If they are, they must say so and act quickly before the AFL sinks further football fans' funds into plans for the sale and redevelopment of the site.

"If they are not, they must admit that they are breaking their promise, and apologise to the football fans of the eastern and south-eastern suburbs and the entire Gippsland region whose trust they so cynically exploited and abused during the election campaign.

"Either way, football fans and the public are entitled to expect some decisions and honest answers from the Government."