Save Coburg Athletics Track

This article by the Brunswick Voice sums up the outcome of our fight to save the track. We have successfully saved our track from ever going to grass and made council aware of the huge patronage it attracts. Yet this support and statistics from Litt athletics, Harriers and schools still isn't enough for us to attract any funds for urgent repairs and upgrades.

Our track doesn't have enough life left in it to wait until Basketball possibly moves in decades to come and which is currently also unfunded.

By the time it's our turn the current surface could be 20-30 years old and unsuitable for purpose.

We will continue to push for funding and maintain the track precinct until the day comes when we can finally lay a new surface and realignment.

Athletics track saved in final Coburg sports plan But athletics clubs will have to wait for further upgrades.

Track and field comes out on top of the school sports participation survey! Well above AFL and Basketball! We have ONE track and field facility. The statistics say only track is essential to local school children and fulfilling their needs. It needs to stay as a dedicated track and field destination. These numbers are hard to ignore 😉

The council feedback deadline of May 11 has passed and now we wait for to see the light ☀️

We did an AMAZING job of highlighting why this is such an important athletics facility to the public, adult athletics (Harriers), AV, Little Athletics Athletics and schools far and wide.🥇

We couldn't have done this without all of you that attended the rally, shared links, signed the petition, emailed council, delivered pamphlets and created discussion. We made this a national talking point!

Well done to absolutely everyone involved and the united front of CLAC and Harriers was a show of force. ❤️

Coburg Harriers Club Merri-bek City Council

We hit 1k signatures alone on our independent petition to council! Keep em coming..share the link and sign it before the May 11 deadline

https://www.change.org/p/save-upgrade-and-enhance-the-coburg-athletics-track-and-field-precinct?utm_medium=custom_url&utm_source=share_petition&recruited_by_id=f1752120-1f2d-11f0-9395-6fd9af1c178c

And also importantly the council feedback box
https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/coburg-north-sports-precinct

A response too large to ignore!

FIVE DAYS TO GO before council feedback closes for the proposed draft plan that takes our track from this to a grass footy oval. 🙄

https://www.change.org/p/save-upgrade-and-enhance-the-coburg-athletics-track-and-field-precinct?utm_medium=custom_url&utm_source=share_petition&recruited_by_id=f1752120-1f2d-11f0-9395-6fd9af1c178c

https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/coburg-north-sports-precinct?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwKGgnlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp7XuWHsJiSCNW-CwRx21a_PQLHvNcQDhpBk5xeENTBoTqlVT4eG_Y5rzt1r-_aem_iG_ztvwQnjQj3JLVSrGuxw

Thank you Dara ❤️

We have submitted to council an alternative long term vision for our athletics precinct. This includes a new properly aligned track meeting international standards with longer straights and synthetic surface. This would benefit both Little Athletics and enable Coburg to host top level adult athletics competitions . Something we can't do with our current track design.

Polytan are a world leading synthetic track design, construction manufacture, installation and maintenance company, who’ve kindly produced the attached to show that there are alternatives to the Grass Oval proposed in the Merri-bek Council Masterplan.

Putting forward solutions for 15,000 local school children, Little Athletics, Harriers and Athletics Victoria. 👍🏻

Channel 9 tomorrow night Wednesday 30th! 6pm...well done kids!

"Coaching here has been a rewarding part of my life, and seeing the kids grow through athletics has been incredible. Athletics deserves proper infrastructure, and replacing the track with a general purpose field doesn't meet the sport's needs. This decision feels like a step in the wrong direction, and I hope it will be reconsidered."