9/3/10 - Saturday saw the final week of the regular season and the conclusion of Senior Cricket at Vic Huxley Oval, Plateau Park. The wet and humid conditions this summer provided have resulted in the cricket ‘square’ looking as good as ever whilst the rest of the outfield is quite lush in places. For most of the season however, frequent rain has meant cricket putting up with a large wet area on the western side towards the picnic shelter. This was the result of PIPE International’s ‘site restoration’ works. We understand that roadbase left under the re-turfed area prevented water from draining out of the depression. The depression in the ground was caused by inadequate levelling. With one week of senior cricket to go, work was done to repair this area. We are unsure whether Council completed this work or PIPE International. Given PIPE’s complete lack of concern for Plateau Park now they have completed their project we’ll give the credit to Council. Interestingly, ‘cash strapped’ Pipe International is now the subject of a $375million takeover bid!
Now that we have all but established a relatively solid mixed cover of grass across the park thanks to no winter sport for a year, great growing conditions this summer, and Council’s efforts in watering and returfing some patches, how do we maintain this? For cricket, the important aspect is the 20 metre radius around the pitch or the ‘circle’. This is where 90% of the cricket action occurs. Despite some lumps and bumps, we ask Council to recognise the current condition (see photo) as the minimum standard for cricket. We also ask that Football (soccer) implement procedure to protect the entire ground as much as possible in winter by cancelling activity in wet conditions, not using the goal areas for training and promoting a general awareness amongst players of protecting the surface.
With no compensation forthcoming from PIPE International it is vital to the future condition of the playing surface that we maintain its current condition. In that way, the 18 months lost to PIPE International will not have been a complete waste for the local community.
State of Affairs - November 2009
CPCC cricket is back on Plateau Park and its nice to see some green grass pre-January. The demands of putting a record 27 cricket teams plus the Milo In2 CRICKET Under 7s has occupied all of the Club’s volunteer time and resources for the last two months. Re-focussing on the issue of PIPE International’s occupation of Plateau Park after a couple of months allows an assessment of the true state of the ground now that Council’s repair work and ground preparation has settled and taken hold.
Unfortunately the legacy left to the Plateau Community by PIPE is still not good. Far from PIPE making any positive contribution to our Community, cricket and soccer are now left with a large depression in the ground where PIPE International’s compound was situated. This has already resulted in the cancellation of one week of First Grade’s round 2 match when this part of the oval filled with water whilst the rest of the ground was playable. So much for our top grade’s much anticipated return to Vic Huxley Oval after over 12 months.
In addition the ground is undulating where it joins the older playing surface. Council’s top dressing of soil failed to even this out. The cricket pitch itself has also been affected with dirt ingrained in the artificial surface from where the protective plastic sheeting wore away, leaving the astro turf exposed for twelve months. What was previously a surface in fairly good condition, we are now left with a worn surface which scratches the new $35 ball significantly reducing its life.
At the end of the day, not even representatives from PIPE International could walk across Plateau Park and say, “The ground is now as good, if not better than before we were here”! as promised. The green grass that is there now comes and goes. Thanks to soccer’s forced hibernation this winter the grass, though generally poor in quality, is there but come next September it will be gone. The difference then will be that we have still have a big depression in the ground thanks to PIPE International.
PIPE INTERNATIONAL SAGA Rectification Work Delays Season Opener Sept 12, 2009 - Despite Council’s efforts to bring Plateau Park (Vic Huxley Oval) up to a satisfactory condition, junior and senior home games were cancelled for round one. The decision was made jointly between the Club and Council ground staff in order to give the repair work the best chance of taking hold. There are still issues with the ground following PIPE’s year long occupation for drilling with a large depression in the playing surface where PIPE’s compound was situated. There is also cleaning work to be done on the artificial grass pitch as dirt has been worn into the surface when the plastic protective sheeting was exposed and torn during the hiatus. CPCC are still working with Council on getting the ground right. We understand that Council are still in negotiation with PIPE over further work to be done on the oval and we anxiously await developments. PIPE Board to Consider Re-turfing Request For Plateau Park - June 2009
2008
June - PIPE announce project and occupation of Plateau Park
- Soccer forced to abandon Plateau Park for training & matches with minimum notice
- PIPE arrange for new posts to be erected at Nolans to help cater.
- Large compound enclosing drilling equipment erected on north western quarter of Plateau Park. Compound fences not maintained and soon become covered in graffiti.
Sept - Cricket season commences. CPCC forced to send junior teams to Lake and Griffith Parks for training.
Dec - Ground due to be handed back by PIPE according to project timeline supplied to stakeholders
- CPCC forced to request stakeholders meeting. PIPE agree to consider request to re-turf a much larger portion of the Plateau Park playing surface than just restoration of their site.
- Project delays. Time for return of ground pushed back to April 09
2009
Jan - Annual Father/Son/Daughter match cancelled due to unavailability of Plateau Park
Apr - PIPE successfully land PPC1 cable. Pittwater House receive $5000 ‘donation’ as VIP helicopters allowed to land on school oval as part of celebrations. Large marquee erected on Plateau Park with catered function
May - CPCC contact PIPE direct about status of rectification work. No response received.
- CPCC request that Warringah Council Mayor appeal to PIPE on community’s behalf
July - Warringah Council receive response on Community’s behalf from PIPE indicating that they would not be doing any work on improving the ground and would only be restoring their site to “as good if not better condition”. PIPE also accuse community of ‘making a grab for cash’ and take the opportunity to rub salt into the wound by reminding us of how bad our oval is and blaming local youth for graffiti etc.
Sept - Condition of ground after PIPE’s rectification work becomes apparent. A large depression has been created by PIPE’s site.
Oct - 1st Grade forced to cancel week 1 of match when rain fills PIPE’s rectification work due to large depression formed in ground. Rest of ground playable.
Summer 09/10 - a large pool of water remains for days after rain or watering in depression formed by PIPE’s work. Report that road base left behind by PIPE and covered over is preventing water from draining away. Water has compromised a number of junior and senior cricket games and will create a quagmire if not rectified by soccer season.
2010
March - PIPE International subject of $375 million takeover bid
- Council repair area of ground subject to flooding on western side
Winter 2008 & PIPE’s newly installed drilling compound quickly becomes an even bigger eyesore. The lack of a graffiti management plan & concern for Plateau Park becomes evident however PIPE would later pass the blame to local Youth - the same ones who now had no place to play soccer.
PIPE International Turn Their Backs On Plateau Community
Despite the successful completion of their PPC-1 project, PIPE International have denied the request by CPCC, Strikers and Warringah Council to re-turf Plateau Park. It now appears unlikely there will be satisfactory compensation for our Community’s accommodation and support of PIPE’s work, and to make up for the 12+ months of disruption to local sport.
We are understandably disappointed with PIPE’s response as we believed this to have been a more than reasonable request after all the Collaroy Plateau Community have put up with. We remain hopeful that PIPE will re-assess their decision and contribute. In the meantime, Council have stepped in to bring forward works scheduled for Plateau Park. We are optimistic the ground will be fit for play on September 12th and thank Council officers for their attention on rectifying some of the issues at our oval.
After a year without our oval, CPCC expects to find out soon whether PIPE International will reward the Collaroy Plateau Community for its patience, support and cooperation during the successful project to land a telecommunications cable known as PPC1.
Last December, CPCC requested a meeting of stakeholders including Warringah Council, Strikers Football Club and PIPE to discuss what we believe is a fantastic opportunity for PIPE to leave a lasting legacy of their project for Collaroy Plateau by re-turfing our barren oval. CPCC are confident that the PIPE International board will see the value in helping CPCC and Strikers build a strong community, by contributing to the development of Plateau Park as a quality sporting and leisure oval. With a proper playing surface, we will be able to attract more participation, improve skills, and increase the quality of our players experience under safer conditions.
CPCC have been driving these negotiations with PIPE as we have a deep connection with the Park. Back in 1955, club members such as Vic & Frank Huxley, Barry Harland, ‘Chippy’ Browne, Milton Lidgard, Ken Hunt and others, made a clearing of sorts in the scrub within which was a ‘half wicket’. CPCC’s hardworking committee lobbied Warringah Shire Council and with the assistance of Gavin Gracie, Des Sainsbury, Col Huntington and Beverley Job, Plateau Park was cleared and ready for play for the 1963 cricket season. In acknowledgment of his work at this time and over many years with the Club and the wider Plateau community, the Club was privileged to have the cricket field named after one of our own – Vic Huxley. Cricketers are also the ones that are left with a barren ground and our season interrupted by goal mouth re-turfing to prepare the field again for soccer. For whatever reasons, the playing surface of Plateau Park has always been very poor.
The ground has never been fully returfed with the only work done repairing soccer goal mouths after winter. This has created an uneven patchwork of kikuyu grass and weeds which only ever approaches a 'satisfactory' standard at the end of the cricket season – just in time again for the rain and soccer. By establishing a solid base of couch grass, we believe Plateau Park will be able to better cope with winter soccer enabling cricketers to finally have a decent playing surface after more than 50 years. It will then be up to both clubs to take care and protect it.
The ‘New’ economy emerging out of the current global financial crisis will require successful organisations to focus on sustainability and building strong communities within which they work. We sincerely hope the board of PIPE International will share their PPC1 project’s success not only with shareholders and investors, but with the Collaroy Plateau Community who have accommodated and supported them over this past year.