Background & FAQs

A Report was presented to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting of Council on 24 January 2012 to provide Elected Members with details regarding the request from the KBC. Read the report.

At a subsequent meeting of Council on 28 February 2012, Council resolved in part (C8595):

“That Council supports the erection of a temporary home run fence at Bill Cooper Oval, Newland Park to be erected and taken down before and after each game day subject to the outcome of community consultation.”

Council also resolved to undertake Community Consultation (Level 2), extended to a radius of 500 metres, to seek the community's views on the following proposals in relation to the use of Bill Cooper Oval by Kensington Baseball Club.

Level 2 Community Consultation includes the following:

A request for comment and accompanying information:

• sent to all residences located within a 500 metre radius of Newland Park;
• posted on Council’s website;
• available at Council’s customer service desk; and
• on display in the atrium Council foyer; and
• An advertisement in the local Messenger newspaper (‘Around Burnside’ column);

Bill Cooper Oval is situated at Newland Park, Erindale, and is located at the eastern section of the reserve. The reserve is bordered by Hallett Road to the east and Newland Road to the south. Residential properties border the reserve to the north and across the road on the west, south and east. There are also a number of commercial businesses across Hallett Road to the east.

Newland Park caters for two main sporting organisations, the KBC and the Burnside Tennis Club. Each has their own clubrooms.

The reserve has a baseball field, junior cricket / junior baseball field, car park, public toilet and four tennis courts.

Newland Park is also available for use by other local sporting organisations and schools.

The Oval was created in 1968/69 by the Undelcarra subdivision as public open space when the western parcel of Reserve was combined with the eastern section after it had been remediated as a Council rubbish tip.

The KBC currently uses a light weight, plastic pipe supported Sarlon-type (shade cloth) barrier that defines the ‘home run’. This system has been in use for a significant period of time. The KBC list a number of issues with this type of
‘fencing’ including:

• A lack of rigidity during game days (i.e. the fence can blow over in the wind and “flaps around” if unsecure);
• The fence does not sit flush to the ground allowing balls to run under and out into the Reserve;
• It does not adequately define a standard fence as a requirement by the South Australian Baseball League; and
• Is a solid visual barrier that creates a “closed in” appearance to that part of the Reserve.

The proposed 1.5 metre high temporary fence includes a light weight modular mesh panel structure supported by sleeved posts every five panels. Each panel self supports the adjacent panel and is then held erect and locked into
place by an upright post that is sleeved into the ground. The posts are removed after each game and a rubber cap is inserted over the sleeve to sit level with the grass.

The overall fence alignment remains the same as the current fence and defines the ‘home run’ limit as per the current shade cloth fence.

The plan (pictured) indicates the proposed fence alignment (shown in red).

Next Steps

As part of Council’s assessment of the KBC’s application, staff will assess the proposal taking into consideration the Council’s Strategic Plan Vision 2020. A copy of this document is available from the customer service desk or at www.burnside.sa.gov.au. Council staff will also consider all comments received from the public consultation process.

A Report will be presented to Council in due course and the time and date of the meeting and all resolutions will be available at www.burnside.sa.gov.au.

Further Information

For further information please contact the City of Burnside’s Manager Open Space and Environment, Simon Bradley on 8366 4252 or at sbradley@burnside.sa.gov.au.