Over 60 people attended a community picnic at Midland Oval organised by Greens (WA) MLC, Tim Clifford. Mr Clifford was joined by the Hon Michelle Roberts MLA, local council candidates for the Midland/Guildford ward and community members who called for the City of Swan to keep the oval as a green space.
The Midland Oval was bequeathed as a recreational reserve to the people of Midland over 100 years ago and has since been used as a sporting facility, community open space and velodrome. The City of Swan has endorsed a Masterplan that would see the Oval redeveloped into residential, commercial and retail space.
The community expressed its outrage yesterday saying that the consultation was sub-standard and the Masterplan does not provide enough green space for the community.
A local resident said, “I remember coming here as a child to watch bike races and visit my Grandma who lived on the Crescent. This place is special to me and I want to see it kept as a park. I don’t want to see it built up with more office and retail space that we don’t need. The Council can keep its piazza and let us keep our public green spaces.”
In a stunt mirroring the Oval’s official opening in 1901, Mr Clifford and Ms Roberts planted a tree to mark the community’s desire to see this oval retained as public green space.
“I have had constituents consistently come into my office to express their concern about the lack of consultation and dissatisfaction with the plan to build over the top of Midland’s last remaining green space,” said Mr Clifford.
“The community has been campaigning against inappropriate development on the Oval for over 25 years. The turn-out on Sunday shows that they haven’t given up. I hope that I can help give a voice to locals who will continue to speak up until their councillors listen.
“It’s time that the City of Swan put a stop to this development. Residents are angry that their rates are being spent on a development that doesn’t deliver, doesn’t make good business sense and doesn’t provide a healthy environment for the community.”