Melbourne Council stripped of sports precinct control
The State Government will introduce laws stripping Melbourne City Council of any control over the Olympic Park sports precinct.
Legislation to be tabled in State Parliament will end the council's 100-year-old powers to control a large tract of land at the southeastern corner of the precinct, including Gosch's Paddock.
Premier John Brumby has ordered the move to try to ensure a $268 million rectangular stadium set to open in 2009, on crown land between Olympic Park stadium and Gosch's Paddock, proceeds without delay.
The three tenants of the new stadium -- the Demons AFL club, Victory A-League soccer club and Storm NRL club, had been concerned they could only secure three-year leases from the council to train on Gosch's Paddock.
To advance negotiations, the Government will take control of the land, offer leases of a minimum 21 years, and cut the council out of the area entirely.
To offset the lengthy leases, the Government will proclaim parts of the land adjoining Gosch's Paddock as public open space.
A dispute with major tenant Victory over the size of the stadium has already delayed the project by several months, and new Premier John Brumby appears determined to get the stadium back on track.
The day before he was chosen as Premier to replace Steve Bracks, Mr Brumby signalled a new direction in major projects such as the rectangular stadium, saying: "We will be putting in place new measures to ensure that we can better implement major projects in Victoria."
The sports precinct move marks the second time Mr Brumby has stepped in to take power away from the council since he became Premier on July 30.
The Government said it would legislate to take control of the Carlton Gardens away from the council to allow the International Flower and Garden Show to go ahead after council decided to end the event, citing damage to the gardens.
Most of the sports precinct, which runs from Batman Ave in the south to the tram lines in the north and Punt Rd in the east, is run by the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust but the land is controlled by a range of bodies including the council, VicTrack, and several government departments.
The Melbourne and Olympic Parks Amendment Bill due to be tabled today will bring all of the land under the control of the trust, which will report to Sport Minister James Merlino.
