Balmain and District rallies for Spaces To Play

Everyone from 5 year old All Abilities player Arran Keith to 75 year old goalkeeper Hans Kempel needs Spaces to Play.

While plans have yet to be finalised, there are reports UrbanGrowth NSW’s Bays Precinct development in the inner west of the city will include 16,000 dwellings with a projected population of 32,000 and there is concern there’s no provision for adequate sport and recreation space.

“They say the green spaces are the lungs of the city but I think sport’s the oxygen for society too and we need our kids to have an opportunity to play,” said Moya Dodd, over 35s player, former Matilda, FFA and FIFA board member and mother of two children who play in the Canterbury Association competition.

Balmain and District Football Club, with the support of Football NSW, and a Sporting Alliance including football, athletics, cricket, netball, rugby union and rugby league held a rally at the Balmain campus of Sydney Secondary College to demand at least ten sporting fields be an integral part of the development.

“Our Little Athletics Club has grown from 350 registered athletes four years ago to 950. That reflects the increase of population in the area and the need that families and the community has for open space and sporting activities,” said the president of Balmain Little Athletics club David Murphy.

Hans Kempel, who plays in the Balmain FC over 45s team said there is already a shortage of available playing fields in the densely populated inner west; “I have found for a number of years now that we have not enough facilities to play sport on, particularly football.”

 All Abilities football games at Balmain are an intrinsic part of Arran Keith’s life; ”I get together with my football friends. I’ve never played in a football team before. My favourite thing is kicking the ball into the net,” Arran said.

Arran’s dad Richard was at the rally to help ensure his son will have Spaces to Play in the future; “It’s vital because if there’s no space kids would be running the streets rather than clean open areas. To get kids of all ages, all abilities and all skills all together is great for families, great for the community and great for the health of the whole scene,” Mr Keith said.

After four weeks of trying, Balmain and District Football Club President Glenn Burge has succeeded in organising a meeting with the Bays Precinct Project Group, scheduled for this week.

-By Mark Chester