While I am currently working on an entry detailing a recent trip to Sydney, I came across an article in Thursday’s Coffs Coast Independent detailing the new vision for Brelsford Park.
Over the years, Brelsford Park has become well known for its sport and community facilities. These include tennis courts, a cricket ground (including turf wicket), former bitumen velodrome, and a family park. A draft master plan has been put forward to retain the parkland and sports precincts, but to add a cultural precinct as well that would include a library, art gallery, public plaza and performance centre.
I first heard about this proposal last weekend after meeting with heads of artistic productions in Coffs Harbour, and a lot of people were unimpressed with the proposal. Again, the council believes it would be grandiose to combine artistic/cultural facilities with sporting ones. How many times have we witnessed the failure of trying to combine these two elements together? Personally, I have yet to see something satisfactorily accomplished.
While those involved with the arts wouldn’t be that pleased, I’m sure cricketers in the Coffs Harbour area wouldn’t be happy with the proposal of “relocating the existing cricket oval further north on the site and reducing its size, …it would still support first grade cricket”. Brelsford Park is already small enough in size as it is, and to make it smaller would almost be making it the equivalent of some of the lower grade cricket grounds in the area. And to add further insult to injury, night lights would probably not be included with the relocation of the ground. There goes the chance to be able to hold a night competition, for the local cricketers, where up to three grounds could be used.
It isn’t the only concern of lining two differing cultures alongside each other but the fact that Brelsford Park is known as being an area of passing crime, especially at night. Alcohol and drugs being the main issues here, people have been known to be found passed out or asleep in the current facility’s grandstand with broken bottles and who knows what else has been found. It is not uncommon to find people lurking near, or within, the facilities at night with acts of vandalism being reported. Now imagine having a building erected there that would be host to artistic facilities, including an art gallery, near an area of crime.
Chances are this proposal is going to be another “architecturally ugly” addition to the misdirection of Coffs Harbour. I don’t think our mayor, Keith Rhoades, could even state what kind of purpose the town of Coffs Harbour can serve for the community with the following article quote; “Coffs Harbour is the major regional centre (of what?! - PM) for the Coffs Coast and a revitalised Brelsford Park that incorporates an attractive cultural precinct can only further contribute to that reputation”. In other words, if you want to place all of your broken eggs into one basket then welcome to Coffs Harbour.
In my opinion the sporting facilities need to be kept as sporting facilities and need to be improved as sporting facilities. Adding a cultural centre to Brelsford Park will detract greatly from the sport and artistic cultures and cause much sacrifice to both areas. It would be better for the neglected arts to miss out on Brelsford Park and have their own cultural centre erected, or improved at a current location, than to be given the rough end of a deal with another substandard addition.
