Courtesy: City South News


Futsal booted out of Moorooka

05 Dec 08

by Kelmeny Fraser

MOOROOKA: Council has blown the final whistle on futsal at Moorooka.
Tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars invested in the popular Moorooka Sports and Community Club will be lost.

The controversial move to ban futsal follows a formal complaint from a mystery source but a council spokesman said there had been more than one complaint in the past five months.
It comes a year after the club, which leases the Koala Rd property from council, secured a $72,000 State Government grant to upgrade the futsal playing surface – putting in almost $20,000 of its own money for electricity and fencing.
Futsal organiser Don Fowler said members were incensed the decision could be made by council without first contacting the club about the nature of the complaint.
He said the decision would sadden 400 weekly players.
“We don’t know what we have done wrong,’’ Mr Fowler said.
“There has never been a previous suggestion by council that it was unhappy with futsal being played at the club and the club’s lease was recently renewed,’’ he said.
Councillor Steve Griffiths (Moorooka) called on council to substantiate the futsal ban.
Several noise complaints have been made since futsal began at the club in 2004, but the club had taken action to pacify neighbours by importing low-frequency referee whistles.
However, council records show the sport was given a six-month trial at the club in May 2004, but games did not begin until February this year.
The spokesman said the club had responsibility, under the ‘good neighbour’ requirement, to respond to all complaints within 14 days, but had failed to do so.
Council told the club it would help find alternative sites for futsal players and find more compatible user groups for the Koala Rd facility.







Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com