A NEW Horsham indoor sports stadium could be in the city’s McBryde Street, after council endorsed the location at a meeting on Monday night.
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The site will include the Horsham basketball stadium, the northern portion of the Horsham Showground and McBryde Street, which will be closed to through traffic.
However, council was divided over the location, with only three councillors voting in favour of it.
Cr David Grimble said the stadium’s project control group should further evaluate options of a site to the west of the city.
He said there would also be impacts on the community if McBryde Street was closed.
“We haven’t sourced community input on closing the street, which is used frequently by people going to Ss Michael and John’s Primary School and the hospital,” he said.
“The project control group needs to look at the bigger picture for all sports.”
Cr Grimble said while he didn’t oppose McBryde Street, he thought more work needed to be done.
Cr Les Power questioned if people in Haven or Horsham’s Williams Road would travel to a new stadium if it was on the west side of town.
“The best place is in the middle of town – people find it so easy not to travel to places,” he said.
Cr Mark Radford, who is the project control group chairman, said there was an opportunity to work with the existing basketball stadium in McBryde Street.
“There is an opportunity to work with the showground and greyhound club to improve a largely neglected part of the city,” he said.
Cr Radford said this was only the first stage of the project.
“Defining the size of the car park and issues with the road – that’s the next stage,” he said.
Cr Josh Koenig also supported the stadium being in McBryde Street.
“There has been an argument that this might be shortsighted and doesn’t take in need for outdoor sporting fields, but is there even a need for outdoor sports?” he said.
“Why not build on land at Dudley Cornell Park in the future if needed.”
Cr Koenig, Cr Radford and Cr Power voted for the motion, while Cr Grimble and Cr Robinson voted against.
Cr Alethea Sedgman and mayor Pam Clarke had a conflict of interest and were not present at the debate.
The project control group has also released four concept plans for the stadium.
