By ALESHA CAPONE
A NEWPORT neighbourhood has pleaded with Hobsons Bay City Council to crack down on problems at a nearby sports reserve.
A petition signed by 24 residents has asked the council to alleviate the “ongoing parking issue caused by the rugby club at Loft Reserve” plus reduce litter, liquor consumption and after-hours music levels.
Loft Reserve is home to the Altona Junior Roosters Rugby League Club (ARRLC), Altona Roosters Rugby League Club and West Newport Cricket Club.
Lead petitioner Abdalla Hasna said many residents – including his 10-year-old son – witnessed a number of naked men ‘streaking’ at the reserve last week.
Mr Hasna said nappies and liquor bottles were regularly dumped on residents’ nature strips.
In addition, he said residents were “locked in their houses” on game days due to hundreds of cars parked in their narrow streets and on nature strips.
But another resident said the rugby club seemed family-oriented and was not as loud as the cricket club which also used the reserve.
“My main concern is the cricket club. They go all night and can have police there at 3am or 4am,” she said.
“I dread the start of the cricket season every year.”
However both the ARRLC and West Newport Cricket Club representatives said they worked to assist residents who experienced any problems with the reserve.
The cricket club’s secretary Michael Jones said noisy events were rare and the club’s liquor licence ran until 11pm.
He said the club was careful not to exceed this time restriction in case they lost permission to serve alcohol.
ARRLC president Brandon Taunoa said the club was “committed to following guidelines set by the Hobson Bay Council in respect to the concerns raised by the neighbouring residents”.
“We have suggested that on event days that we could place council-provided ‘no parking signs’ along one side of Carmen St to alleviate some of the parking problems,” he said.
He said grounds managers provided litter control around the fields and younger members cleaned up rubbish at the end of events.
Hobsons Bay City Council voted to investigate the petition and report back at a later date.
