Council has given Hunters Hill Rugby Club ‘in-principle’ support to their proposal to build a community hall and obtain a 20 year lease of land in Boronia Park.

In spite of recent reassurances from Hunter’s Hill Council that there was no progress on the proposal from the Hunter’s Hill Rugby Club to lease an area of land adjacent to Boronia Park Oval No 3 to build a hall for their needs, the last Ordinary Meeting for the year on 13 December told a different story.

Council will also seek concurrence and comments from the Land & Property Management Authority (formerly Dept of Lands) prior to commencing the formal procedures for granting such a lease.

Thanks to the input from a concerned community, the Plan of Management for Boronia Park (PoM 2002) is specific that any Community Hall needs to be “a low-key social event location, not a licensed facility and not threaten the security and peaceful ambience of the park and surrounding residences”.  It could also be an “educational and interpretive centre or meeting place”;  and parking must be strictly controlled.

It would necessary to amend the  current Plan of Management.  This proposal will be scrutinised as it progresses and any alienation of land will inevitably be opposed by a vigilant community wishing to protect the integrity and values of a vital public space with important adjacent remnant bushland.