Members Statement - Wattie Watson Oval Pavilion

MEMBERS STATEMENT

‘Wattie Watson Oval Pavilion’.

Thursday, 1 September 2022.

Mr NEWBURY (Brighton) (14:44):

My Constituency Question is to the Minister for Community Sport, and I ask: is the state Labor government considering committing financial support towards the upgrade of the pavilion facilities at Wattie Watson Oval in Elwood?

The oval is heavily utilised but neither the State nor Council has addressed the needs at the pavilion.

The pavilion change rooms are not female friendly. The facilities are comprised of a central change room and adjacent shower space. This space is not adequate for the number of overlapping teams changing.

On Friday a local Sporting Club contacted me to advise that over the previous weekend a 12-year-old girl walked in on a middle-aged man naked in the change rooms at the pavilion—very, very upsetting for the community.

Despite continuing advocacy to Port Phillip Council, Council’s position is that the change room facilities were built to unisex design principles. In fact, Council staff bizarrely advised me that boys and girls could use the space and showers at the same time and somehow coordinate usage.

Quite frankly Elwood has had enough. Labor cannot keep ignoring my community.