Arlington saved from Artificial Turf!!

The battle for the future of Arlington Reserve has been won by local residents campaigning for it to remain natural turf and for reasonable hours of use to be maintained.

At its December meeting, Marrickville Council considered two reports.

The first report was on the community consultation process.  This report showed overwhelming opposition to the proposal to install artificial turf.

The second report looked into all the issues raised about the environmental, health and other effects of artificial turf, as well as how it would affect the amenity of local residents and the compared the financial case for a re-turf with natural grass and with artificial turf.

Despite many many questionable findings and unanswered questions and a highly qualified financial case, the report recommend to the elected councillors that they proceed with an Expression of Interest on installing artificial turf.

This recommendation came despite the very strong community reaction against artificial turf revealed in the community consultation process.

Local residents from the area came and spoke very articulately against artificial turf.

When it last came before Council in August, the five Green Councillors moved for Arlington Reserve to be re-surfaced with natural grass rather than artificial .  They presented it as a win-win result – a better surface for soccer players, while avoiding all the pitfalls of artificial turf.  Back then the four Labor and three Independent Councillors rejected this proposal in favour of continuing the process of installing artificial turf.

Now the Labor Councillors and Independent Councillor Dimtirios Thanos changed their position to join the Greens to support a natural re-turf over artificial turf.  Only Independent Councillor Victor Macri persisted with supported artificial turf.  This effectively killed off the idea of artificial turf for good and it will now be returfed with natural grass after the 2010 winter season.

Council will also look at installing water capturing and harvesting systems to provide better irrigation to the soccer pitch.

This is a big victory for the local community and their intense efforts at education and lobbying councillors.

Thank you to all the local residents and others who assisted this campaign!

Expert submission on the potential toxicological effects of artificial turf

Dr Gavin Edwards is a  Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemistry at a major Australian University (UNSW) with qualifications in the areas of organic and medicinal chemistry.  He taught senior level environmental toxicology at UNSW and also lives in Dulwich Hill, near Arlington Reserve.

Dr Edwards has written a very detailed submission to Marrickville Council regarding the proposal to install artificial turf.

You can download the PDF of Dr Edwards’ submission.

Do you want Arlington Reserve covered in plastic grass?

Marrickville Council decided in its 2009-10 budget to set aside over a million dollars to resurface Arlington Reserve in Dulwich Hill with artificial turf.

Local residents are concerned about:

• Less community access to open space
• Increased usage, noise & lighting
• Harder to find parking, more traffic
• Misuse of ratepayers money
• Ongoing financial costs to ratepayers
• Jury is still ‘out’ on toxicity of synthetic grass and chemical leaching
• No Business Plan indicating how Council will manage the costs
• Lack of community consultation on Council’s decision
• No studies to support the proposal
• Six fold increase in usage reserved for limited/elite football

Less community access

Increased usage, noise, flood lighting

Harder to find parking, more traffic

Health effects of artificial turf

Waste of money

Residents have formed a ‘Save Arlington Reserve Action Committee’ to persuade Council against the proposal.

Have you say – Marrickville Council is conducting public consultation.  Click here to have your say.

Where is Arlington Reserve?

Arlington Recreational Reserve is located in a densely populated area of Dulwich Hill, in Sydney’s Inner West.

View Larger Map

Courier story

Click to enlarge

Council to discuss artificial turf for Arlington this Tuesday 18 August

Marrickville Council will discuss and vote on a motion regarding the installation of artificial turf at Arlington Reserve this Tuesday 18 August.

The public can come to the meeting and three speakers from the gallery can speak for the motion, and three speakers can speak against.

The meeting starts at 6.30pm, at the Marrickville Council Chambers, 2-4 Fisher Street, Petersham. (You may want to get their early to ensure you can get in).

Independent Councillor Thanos is moving the motion:

NM 35 – ARLINGTON OVAL
For Decision
From Councillor Dimitrios Thanos

Background
Councillors will be aware that over-enthusiastic supporters of both sides of the argument are
spreading rumours about Councils intentions relating to Arlington oval

One side would have it that Council wants to make Arlington an oval that caters for the exclusive
use of Soccer clubs.

The other side has it that Council wants to make Arlington an oval that caters for exclusive use of
Dog owners.

Council has made a budget allocation for a synthetic turf at Arlington ($1.1M). I support the view
that while proceeding with further feasibility and consultation on the Arlington Oval proposal, we
also seek further advice about whether this or another oval is the best location for the installation of
a synthetic surface prior to its being installed.

As all Councillors are aware, and as residents around Arlington have quite rightly pointed out, no
such study took place prior to a decision to allocate funds for a synthetic surface at Arlington and
although all Councillors have their own subjective views on the topic (myself being one of them),
an objective look at usage, traffic and suitability of the Ovals in our area has not taken place.

MOTION:

1. Council recognises the need to increase the capacity for use of its ovals and part of that
strategy is to look into the use of Synthetic surfaces; and

2. Council notes that funds have been allocated in this the budget for 2009-2010 that allow for
feasibility, consultation and installation of a synthetic surface at Arlington Oval. While
proceeding with that work, Council also investigates other playing fields as a potential site
and identifies objectively the most appropriate location within the Marrickville LGA for the
installation of such a surface.

General Manager reports:
This motion, if adopted by Council, can be implemented within normal operations.

The Greens have indicated they will move an amendment to support re-turfing Arlington Reserve with natural grass, rather than artificial grass.

It is very important to have as many residents in the gallery as possible to show the strength of feeling against the current plans.

Serious questions asked of artificial turf

This month’s edition of Pitchcare Oceania (a magazine serving the turfcare industry) has a story online about artificial turf.

The story essentially lays out a whole lot of questions that should be asked by anyone contemplating installing artificial turf.

The topics include health and safety concerns, environmental concerns and cost concerns.

Has Marrickville Council asked and answered all these questions yet?

Click here to view the story.

150 neighbours attend public gathering

Around 150 local residents attended the public meeting at Arlington Reserve on Saturday morning.

They were addressed by concerned residents from the Save Arlington Reserve Action Group, as well as local Councillors – Labor Mayor Sam Iskandar, Greens West Ward Councillor Marika Kontellis and Labor West Ward Councillor Emanuel Tsardoulias.

Residents outlined their concerns about the artificial turf and how an increase in the use of Arlington Reserve for football would affect neighbourhood amenity.

Residents also expressed their concerns about the lack of direct consultation prior to the proposal being passed in the recent Council budget.

The Mayor, Sam Iskandar attempted to justify the installtion of artificial turf with an argument that natural grass causes asthma!

The meeting passed the following resolution unanimously:

This meeting of concerned residents calls on Marrickville Council to reverse the budget allocation to resurface Arlington Recreational Reserve with synthetic turf and to undertake extensive and comprehensive community consultation whenever it is proposing changes to Arlington Recreational Reserve.

Local Residents gather at Arlington Reserve to oppose artificial turf

There is now a formal Marrickville Council consultation about the proposal that closes on the 4 September.

You can view the plans here and comment online here.

There will be a consultation meeting at Arlington Reserve between 9am and 12 Noon on Sunday 16 August.  Council officers will be available to discuss the draft improvement plan proposals and answer questions.

It is very important to put in a comment or attend the consultation to make your concerns known.

Arlington Reserve fake grass plan causes stir – The Inner West Courier

07 Aug 09  by Marie Sansom  Read this article on the Inner West Courier website.

Arlington Reserve fake grass plan causes stir Protesters at Arlington Reserve. A MAJOR stoush has kicked off over synthetic grass at a Dulwich Hill reserve.

Marrickville Council recently allocated $1.3 million for synthetic grass to be laid at Arlington Reserve, so soccer can be played year-round. But some residents are incensed and want councillors to re-examine the issue.

They have formed a group, Save Arlington Reserve, which will meet this Saturday at Arlington Reserve, at 11am this Saturday. Suzanne Marks, from the group, said ground use would skyrocket, with players and supporters coming every weekend and most week nights, causing more traffic, noise and disruption.

Dulwich Hill Soccer Club and Stanmore Hawks currently share the reserve for 26 weeks of the year to preserve the surface. “There’s very big community action building against it. They’re locking up the facility from the neighbourhood, except for elite soccer players,” Ms Marks said.

“People feel utterly betrayed by their local councillors with no notification and consultation with their local community.”

The need to keep the surface clean will mean dogs, walkers and children will not be able to use the ground for recreation. West ward councillor Dimitrios Thanos, initially a supporter of the project, is expected to move a motion at an August 18 council meeting asking for alternative sites to be considered.

In an email to other councillors he said: “I do recognise that the decision to identify Arlington Oval was probably a bit hasty.

“ Dulwich Hill Soccer Club secretary John Ferreira accused Greens councillors and residents who oppose the synthetic grass of being short-sighted. “They want it to be a dog park for a minority of people and to improve the value of their houses,” Mr Ferreira.

He said Football NSW intermittently banned clubs from using the ground because poor conditions made it so dangerous.

“There’s not enough sporting fields in the area, especially to play at the elite level,” he said. “We’ve got hundreds of kids who we would rather have playing soccer than running around the streets and shopping centres.”

[Editors note] The accusation by Mr Ferreira regarding the dog park is not true.  No Councillor from any political party has said they want to stop soccer being played at Arlington Reserve or that they want to turn it into a dog park.  Unfortunately, the pro-artificial turf people are spreading this lie in the community.

Read this story on the Inner West Courier’s website.

Park Users are Outraged – Cooks River Valley Times

Click to enlarge

Sydney Morning Herald Article on Artificial Turf at Arlington Oval

View this article on smh.com.au

Something funny is afoot, and not everyone is laughing

Stirring up the mud … John Sotiropoulos prepares to kick as coach Soteris Mavrou and Jacob Lanzafame of the Stanmore Hawks under 14s soccer team look on during practice at Arlington. Photo: Kate Geraghty

Paul Bibby Urban Affairs Reporter

July 8, 2009

OVER nearly a century Arlington Oval at Dulwich Hill has hosted many sports events, including rugby league and the Empire Games in 1938. Now a most modern phenomenon is about to take to the field: synthetic grass.

The grand old ground will become the first council football field in Sydney to be resurfaced with synthetic grass, as the local council tries to deal with a chronic shortage of usable sporting fields in the region.

Made from hundreds of tonnes of shredded tyres covered by a synthetic green carpet, the turf provides an even, all-weather surface that can survive the daily stampede of football studs.

The move is a win for local sporting teams which have been forced to travel across the city to play and train to avoid turning Arlington into a quagmire.

But the plan has drawn criticism from some residents and councillors who say the artificial surface is overpriced, may leach toxins into the air and soil, and will diminish Arlington’s proud history.

The council will need a loan to pay the $850,000 installation cost, $17,000 a year in maintenance, and $420,000 for resurfacing every seven to 10 years.

Football NSW says the surface would have to be used 36 hours a week to be better value than natural turf.

A Greens councillor on Marrickville council, Cathy Peters, said: “It’s a big outlay at a time when this council is very short on funds and when questions remain about the health impacts. There are concerns that the rubber may leach unsafe chemicals and that foreign objects such as animal faeces and bodily fluids will contaminate the surface.”

Locals are upset at the effect on the character of the ground, which has a heritage listed grandstand and dressing sheds.

“Not only will it dramatically reduce the heritage character of the oval but it will make it completely inaccessible to local residents,” Cr Peters said.

“People who just want to have a kick, walk the dog, or run around – they will not be able to use that oval. It’s taking over the oval for the exclusive use sporting teams.”

Despite the controversy, Football NSW says artificial turf is the way of the future across Sydney.

It has been installed across Melbourne and Football NSW will include at least two synthetic fields in its new Riverstone West sporting complex.

The manager of the new complex, Tim Geldhill, said: “It is a potential solution to the sporting field shortage experienced by many councils in recent years. The surface may be a little bit different to playing on natural turf, but it’s perfectly flat and plays the same in all weather conditions.”

View this article on smh.com.au