Call to action for Northeast Park
Scottsdale Lions VP Melissa Krushka with Marianne and Wally Bennett and Merv Chilcott at Northeast Park.
August 28, 2024
By Rachel Williams
One of the region’s popular recreational spaces was “pretty derelict” and in need of greater maintenance to ensure it was preserved as a community and visitor attraction.
That’s the belief of the Scottsdale Lions Club, who are seeking public assistance to help restore the site to its former glory.
The Lions Club made a submission in the recent Dorset Council community budget process and immediate past president Merv Chilcott is disappointed no extra money was forthcoming.
Mr Chilcott told last Monday’s Council meeting during Public Question Time that he had met on site with former infrastructure Director Michael Buckley who “agreed it was pretty derelict”.
Council Corporate Services Acting Director Lauren Tolputt said the Lions Club’s submission was very broad and focused mostly on tidying the park up and reinvigorating it as a family outing destination.
Ms Tolputt said while the Lions submission as an “entire concept” was not funded, the Council has a standard $21,000 maintenance budget for Northeast Park, and an additional $6000 would be spent performing priority tree maintenance in accordance with an arborist’s report.
An additional $35,000 will be spent to reseal the internal road and carpark, she said.
Ms Tolputt said submissions that weren’t funded this year would be kept and assessed against external funding opportunities and would also be used to inform future planning activities and budget discussions.
Northeast Park incorporates a free caravan and RV park, barbeque facilities and a children’s playground area.
Mr Chilcott said there needed to be more toilets alongside general park improvements.
“We try to do as much as we can. It’s a special place and we have had some fantastic times down here,” Mr Chilcott said.
“I’ve got photos where there were no rushes and they’d come down the water in canoes and paddle boats to celebrate Tasmania Day. We had some great Carols by Candlelight events on the stage but that needs painting and maintenance.
“We need to spray the blackberries, the ponds need to be cleared out and one pond that used to be full of lilies is now overgrown.”
Lions Vice President Melissa Krushka said one pond had been cleaned recently by Lions members and a number of working bees had helped tidy one over-grown area as well as a walkway to access the Rail Trail.
But a dwindling number of Lions’ members meant the upkeep of the park was a challenge and the club hoped a call to action would encourage more volunteers at future working bees.
The concept of the park was first developed in 1930 and 150 people attended the first working bee and 1000 people attended the 1935 opening which included a swimming carnival.
In the 1980s a resurgence of community group interest saw areas cleared, new ponds, shelters, structures and walkways developed.
The renewed push for the area to be revitalised comes ahead of the inaugural Scottsdale Spudfest to be held on the site on March 16.
“We will rally a group of willing workers to get the water back to its former glory – a big community working bee probably at the end of October when there is spring growth about and it is a bit drier on the ground,” Mr Chilcott said.