It’s a fairly sad state of affairs when school children can’t use one of their local ovals because of broken glass and extreme filth.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It’s even sadder still when no measures are in place to stop that sort of rampant vandalism.
But such is the case for the Max McMahon Oval at Rutherford.
Used for cricket in the warmer months, AFL in the cooler seasons and Little Athletics in between, the sporting venue is often highly populated with children and young families.
And therefore an obvious choice for a school sports carnival.
Or so the parents and staff at St Patrick’s Primary School, Lochinvar, thought.
Instead, the grounds surrounding the field were covered in glass. The stands stank of urine, and faeces was found in the toilets.
As a result, the school, which paid to use the venue, is considering taking the event out of the city.
The Maitland Saints (our local AFL club) also pay to use the oval, but spend most weekends removing highly offensive graffiti, picking up syringes and collecting broken glass.
What if a child picked these up instead?
Maitland City Council says the responsibility of the oval’s amenities lie with the seasonal user groups and that vandalism cannot be avoided.
But that’s not entirely true.
A locked gate and fence would certainly, at least, deter potential vandals and keep our children safe.
