Alice Matthiesson, Castlemaine
Our community is failing to understand that the Camp Reserve proposed redevelopment prioritises clubrooms on the Gingell St rise, at the expense of creating a safe, to code, oval with regulation run off. Crash mats strapped to trees and metal pipe-framed fencing along narrow boundaries have never been acceptable.
This planning application does not address this. Two recent letters in the Castlemaine Mail (Opinions, June 19 and 26) speak about the role of sports in developing good mental health, resilience and emotional regulation – ideally, they can do this. Acquired brain injuries, even minor concussions, and as we are now realising, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) result in the exact opposite. Why would we embrace a plan that fails on the fundamental principles of safety? New clubrooms on the wing looking across to crash mats on the perimeter – what are the priorities here?