Front page anti-rail article in Moreland Observer (longish)

["Michael" <mk@netstra.com.au>]

<start article>
RAIL LINK THREAT TO SPORT

by Shelley Morrell.

Sporting clubs could lose their home grounds at Broadmeadows Valley Park if
the proposed $275 million airport rail link goes ahead [1].

Meadow Heights Football Club, Coolaroo Football Clinic, Loolaroo Cricket
Club and Hume United Soccer Club use the park daily for training and games.

Meadows Heights Football Club president Graeme Marr said the rail link would
slice the foorball oval in two.

He said the park would need to be moved south.

"You can't just push an oval over. It can take two years for the ground to
settle," he said. "It (the rail link could force the club to fold because
kids will just drop out of footy because there isn't a ground nearby".[2]

The 162ha Broadmeadows Valley Park stretches from Johnstone St to Barry Rd.
The Barry Rd end includes a football oval, two cricket pitches and two
soccer fields.

The State Government plans to run the rail link west of the bBoradmeadows
rail line and Barry Road. It will cut through Broadmeadows Valley Park and
over Moonee Ponds Creed to the airport.

Coolaroo cricket cluib recretary Michael Murphy said the club has recently
spent about $5000 laying a new pitch on the oval.

"If the rail link goes through, that money will have been completely wasted"
he said.

Mr Murphy said the club's 70 members ranged in age from 12 to about 50.
"It's difficuly enough to control junior members as it is" he said. "I don't
know what will happen if there's an express train running 130kph past the
oval".[3]

Broadmeadows Valley Park advisory comittee member Keith Nottley said he was
concerned for the safety of children.[4]

"The rail link will go through the most developed part of the park and not
one safety measure has been put forward" he said.

"Millions of dollars have been spent on the park and hundreds of people use
it every week".[5]

Mr Nottley said the rail link would cut off sporting grounds from car
parking which raised concerns about access for emergency vehicles.[6]

He said the rail link would also chase away the park's wildlife, ruin the
grasslands and destroy walking and riding paths.[7]

Submissions to the State Government independent panel officially closed on
March 3. A date for the panel hearing has yet to be set.
<end article>
<start my opinion>

[1] Big deal, unfortunately these dimwits have to look at reality. In this
fast growing city, there need to be alternative means of transport for
people, other than cars and buses. Sydney have done the right thing.
[2] This seems rather contradictory, first he said the ground could be moved
south. There, no more kids dropping out, they still have an oval. As for two
years to settle, all i can say is, since when?
[3] Well the kids could kind of realise that they dont have much hope when
standing in front of a train going at 130kph, or how about a better
solution, erect a fence to stop them getting past in the first place.
[4] See note 3. And if a kid was stupid enough to deliberately jump a fence
to walk the train tracks, then he deserves to get run over. It could also
teach the other kids a lesson.
[5] It's a big park - (See Melway Map 6, G3) - my heart really bleeds for
those who really think they are going to be worse off losing a small eensy
weensy bit of their precious park. As said, it is 162ha, how much more do
they fscking want?
[6] Raise the railway off the ground or incorporate a level crossing. Do
railways affect emergency vehicles anywhere else? methinks not.
[7] Rubbish, the walking/riding tracks may go past where the railway
reservation will be, but doesnt that happen every where else too? Does it
"destroy" tracks in other instances? Ill use a few of many examples here,
North Melbourne near the City Link, a track goes underneath the tracks along
side the creek, no worries there. Along side Merri Ck at both Clifton Hill
and Merri station. No worries there either.

On a final note, how could such a poorly written and biased article be
placed on the front page of a newspaper? Someone need's to get their
priorities right.

Michael,
Close enough to Broadmeadows to have my own opinion.