Save Noble Park Velodrome before it's too late!

Save Noble Park Velodrome before it's too late!

After Tuesday 12 March 2019, the City of Greater Dandenong are poised to demolish the much-loved Maurice Kirby Velodrome, at Parkfield Reserve, Dunblane Road, Noble Park.
Residents expect councils to take care of their local suburbs. And that's more than just roads, rates and rubbish. Residents want their voices to be respected. City of Greater Dandenong failed to listen to residents about retaining Maurice Kirby Velodrome as part of the Parkfield Reserve Masterplan.
With Federal elections looming in 2019 and Victorian council elections in 2020, local issues, like removing a much-loved velodrome, will be long remembered when many Noble Park, Springvale and Dandenong residents cast their votes.
Since early 2018, Noble Park residents have tried to make council listen to concerns about the Draft Parkfield Reserve Masterplan, which includes demolishing the velodrome. The entire reserve has been left to deteriorate for years. We agree a masterplan is step in the right direction to improve our little reserve and clean it up, but please don't remove the reason why most residents use it daily!
Council plan to replace the velodrome with a 2.5m wide gravel or concrete path which we really don't think will be weather proof or be fit for purpose.
On 25 February 2019, councillors voted 4:7 to fast track $450,000 of Open Space Reserve Fund to demolish Maurice Kirby Velodrome.
And despite being poorly maintained by City of Greater Dandenong for years and having no signage, the velodrome is highly used by Noble Park residents for walking and cycling.
Our area wants this wonderful facility to remain, be refurbished so that children, families and everyone can ride, learn skills and importantly, have fun walking or riding a bike!
We call upon all the councillors and local politicians this petition is directed towards, to mediate this unprecedented situation, attempt to de-escalate, cooler heads to prevail and the Parkfield Reserve Masterplan to be redesigned to reflect local concerns.
Thank you
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Dandenong Star Journal: Masterplan ’advances to Go’ (27 February 2019)
Greater Dandenong Council has been blasted for spending money like a “game of Monopoly” by fast-tracking the demolition of Maurice Kirby Velodrome in Noble Park.
A majority of councillors have voted to expedite $450,000 for the cycling track in Parkfield Reserve to be removed as soon as March.
It had previously been expected to be funded in the 2019-20 budget to be handed down in June.