The Stawell Athletic Club is facing a “frustratingly familiar” issue just one week out from the most important event of the year, the Stawell Gift.
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A mobile grandstand on the Main Street side of Central Park has been removed and replaced with a block of toilets against the advice and consultation of the SAC committee.
Just 12 months ago Northern Grampians Shire Council and the SAC were at loggerheads over the placement of a toilet block behind the start line of the Stawell Gift.
The issue was resolved but the club is now faced with a similar dilemma.
With one of the club’s male toilet facilities out of action, the SAC committee and NGSC representatives met to discuss the placing of a temporary solution for this year’s event.
Past president and current SAC committee member Neal Blizzard said the two parties agreed on a plan for the facilities which did not include removing a grandstand.
People probably don’t want to be sitting directly beside the toilets
- Kieren McIntosh
“We agreed to place the toilets behind a hedge on the lawn adjacent to the mobile grandstands or in a worst case situation behind the grandstands themselves,” he said.
“We did not mention anything about removing a grandstand at all.”
SAC president Kieren McIntosh said it is “disappointing that a trivial matter” has been a talking point two years in a row.
“We had these discussions around last Easter and it is crazy they are popping up again,” he said.
"There will be some people who have sat in those stands for quite some time and when they come to the event they won’t be too happy their seats will be gone.
“People probably don’t want to be sitting directly beside the toilets either.”
NGSC infrastructure and environment director Chris Adams said council believes the removal of the grandstand will not negatively impact the Gift.
"The toilet block has been placed in that particular position due to safety requirements and access to a sewer point,” he said.
"We believe that there will be sufficient seating provided for the event and that this should have no adverse affects on anyone who heads to Central Park to enjoy the Gift."
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Mr Blizzard said he believes the move could detrimentally affect the perception of Australia’s richest footrace.
“All I can see from this is people will come in and not like it one bit,” he said.
Council is currently in the process of establishing a plan to avoid similar issues in future years.
"We are working to develop a set infrastructure plan for the Stawell Gift, which will allow us to use an identical set-up each and every year,” Mr Adams said.
McIntosh said the club is still in ongoing conversation with council but he believes it may be too late to have the issue resolved by next week.
“We have had emails going backwards and forwards over the last few days with council to see if we can get them moved and we are trying to find out why they ended up there in the first place,” he said.
The 2018 Stawell Gift Carnival kicks off next weekend.