Eight Vincent reserves face maintenance review before 2027/28 budget

Eight City of Vincent sporting reserves and parks will undergo a maintenance and resourcing review before councillors consider public open-space priorities in the 2027/28 budget.

The review was approved unanimously on Tuesday after a motion from Cr Con Poulios, seconded by Cr Suzanne Worner. It will cover Britannia Reserve, Menzies Park, Charles Veryard Reserve, Birdwood Square, Beatty Park Reserve, Les Lilleyman Reserve, Forrest Park and Woodville Reserve.

Chief Executive Officer David MacLennan must present the report at a Council Workshop no later than the first budget workshop for the 2027/28 Annual Budget. The report must come before any Council consideration of budget priorities, service-level adjustments or funding allocations for public open space and sporting reserves.

It will itemise current and historical operating and capital spending at each site, including maintenance, irrigation, turf management and renewal work. Councillors also requested details of mowing, fertilising, wetting agents, herbicide use and major turf-renovation work such as vertimowing, coring, vertidraining, top dressing and returfing.

The review will identify the sporting clubs, schools and community groups using each reserve, provide available utilisation data and identify sites facing increased demand. It must compare maintenance spending and service levels with comparable metropolitan local governments, including expenditure per hectare where available.

The report will also examine the cost of higher maintenance and renewal levels, the mix of in-house staff, plant and equipment and contractors, and any resourcing gaps.

Population growth, increased use and groundwater-allocation constraints are among the future pressures to be assessed. The review must also examine the condition and suitability of lighting for evening and night use and identify any required upgrades.

Public questions at the meeting separately raised the need for toilets and changerooms at Beatty Park Reserve. The vote did not allocate funding or set new maintenance standards.

Mayor Alison Xamon and Crs Worner, Nicole Woolf, Poulios, Ashley Wallace, Sophie Greer and Reece Wheadon voted for the motion. There were no votes against.