Club president, Jen Basham, told The Westender that the West End Partisans football club opposes the Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) Plan for the Kurilpa Precinct. She said seeing the Council and Government jump on the Women’s World Cup and cheer on the Matildas has been a little hard to take when they see the neglect of women’s sport at grassroots levels.
The West End Partisans Sporting & Cultural Association Inc (West End Football Club) is a proud community club with a thirty-year history in the Kurilpa Peninsula.
The club has many past and present members who remain local residents or live in adjacent suburbs.
Club President Jen Basham told The Westender that they oppose the Kurilpa TLPI.
“It is a bonkers idea and poorly executed,” Ms Basham said.
“The Kurilpa TLPI isn’t’ a plan, it’s an open slate for bad development and profiteering. We aren’t against more density in West End, many of our members are feeling these housing pressures. But I would love to see a diversity of housing options in well planned neighbourhoods, with more green space.”
The club and local community groups Kurilpa Futures and West End Community Association say there are enormous pressures on existing infrastructure, public transport, education, and other services in the Kurilpa Precinct.
“In particular, for us, the Kurilpa Peninsula lacks even one quality green field for sport and recreation for the hundreds, if not thousands, of families now squeezing into apartments. We use a single community field at Davies Park as a home ground. And it is also used by the desperate local schools, who lack green space for their kids,” Ms Basham said.
“It has poor lighting that cannot support night games, no access to change rooms, and the field itself is generally in a poor condition, with weed infestations and dangerous patches. Due to a lack of other facilities and BCC enforcement, dog owners use it as a dog park (because there aren’t proper dog parks for them), leaving faecal matter, holes, and sticks scattered across it. Giving rise to a range of public health and safety issues. “
Many of the leagues and teams the club participates in refuse to play on the West End community field.
“We have to hire two fields outside of the Kurilpa Peninsula in order to keep our local club alive. Given all this, we also do not have the capacity to support kids’ soccer or other sport and development, even though we would love to and know there are hundreds and hundreds of kids who would love the chance to be able to walk to a local field and play sport after school. Maybe even parents who have been inspired by the Matildas to try out soccer! Instead, those parents who can, join the inner-city peak hour gridlock trying to transport children to sport and rec in other parts of the city.”
“The Council and State Government has cheered the Matilda’s FIFA World Cup efforts along with the rest of Queensland. Matilda’s captain Sam Kerr has called for more investment in Australian women’s football to match the rhetoric.”
“We have absolutely loved every minute of the World Cup, and what it has done for women’s sport. Though it has been a little hard to take, seeing the Council and Government jump on this when we see the neglect that is happening at the grassroots.”
“Because here we are in Kurilpa, our population has nearly tripled and there has been 9000+ more dwellings over 15 years, yet we still don’t have a single, safe, green community space for kids to kick or throw a ball.’
Ms Basham says Brisbane City Council has failed to deliver parks, community facilities and transport infrastructure for years.
“We would love to give more women opportunities to play, and to offer sport and recreation for the kids. But we need the facilities and resources here in West End to be able to offer that.”
All images supplied.
Related Stories
No where left to play: local push for new sports facilities
