By Ruza Zivkusic
NEARLY 1000 Brimbank residents who support the relocation of Albion Junior Soccer Club to Cairnlea signed a petition that was presented to Brimbank City Council last week.
The club’s president Beige Hussein spent nearly five weeks collecting signatures along with councillor Ken Capar.
Mr Hussein said he wanted to show to council and to the club’s opponents that the club was well respected in the community.
“We had a lot of negative campaigns targeted towards our club,” Mr Hussein said.
He said the Cairnlea site would be open to the community despite the club using the premises.
“There’s been a misunderstanding. We’re not going to go there and put in a 50-foot high fence. We’re not having notices there saying ‘residents keep out’,” Mr Hussein said.
Anna Muszak, from Cairnlea, who has taken Brimbank City Council to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) last month over the issue of releasing information about the Albion Junior Soccer Club’s relocation to Cairnlea, said Cairnlea residents were promised a multi-purpose facility, not a soccer club at the Cairnlea Park.
“I’m still going to keep fighting because we have all bought land here based on the fact that it’s going to be a multi-use sports facility,” she said.
The VCAT hearing is expected to take place on 22 and 23 June, Ms Muszak said.
Mr Hussein said the club was in the process of raising $100,000 for the facility.
“If my club wasn’t serious why would we take that sort of commitment?” Mr Hussein said.
Cr Capar disagreed that the club’s grounds at Cairnlea would be locked off for residents’ use.
“The question that needs to be asked is: Do we support the kids that are involved in the club, or do we not?” Cr Capar said.
Cr Capar did not wish to comment on the VCAT case between the council and Ms Muszak.
