kicking goals

Soccer has been a big issue in my term as councillor for Lyster Ward and I have spent many hours focusing on soccer issues. The local club, the Sherbrooke Rangers Junior Soccer Club has grown exponentially and has struggled to find enough grounds to play their game.

The Menzies Creek Recreation Reserve has been a big part of filling the need but there has been significant consequences for the reserve and local residents. The reserve is small and set in a rural area and really isn’t appropriate to meet the growing needs of soccer.

I have been working very hard to resolve the issues, including working with the club and the residents for a positive way forward. There has been extensive negotiations and mediation to assist the residents and the club. A lot of effort has gone into the exploration of a green fields site for soccer and progress is being made on furthering this concept.






Me at the Menzies Creek Recreation Reserve. The Sherbrooke Rangers currently field 41 teams and have over 500 players.

As part of the process council recently endorsed the Draft Regional Soccer Strategy for community comment. Some of the recommendations in the strategy include “The proposed new regional facilities in the South Western area of the Shire will play a critical role in catering for the long-term demand for soccer in the Shire. Without this development there are no opportunities to develop or acquire additional space for more active playing fields. Furthermore, due to limitations on available open space for soccer fields, synthetic surfaces will also play a critical role in meeting the demand load for soccer in the Shire.”

If you’d like read the strategy click here. Written comments or suggestions can be sent to Gerran Wright by 5th December, 2008.

I have put a lot of energy into Soccer and if re-elected I will continue to fight for a green fields site for soccer. One term is never enough time to see projects through to completion and I hope I’m given the opportunity to see this one delivered with another term as Lyster Ward councillor.

The Sherbrooke Rangers Junior Soccer Club is extremely pleased with the support Cr Samantha Dunn has given us in our endeavours to improve soccer facilities in the Dandenong Ranges.
Lisa Doolan and David Ceeney – Sherbrooke Rangers Junior Soccer Club

Thank you for your friendly and approachable manner during the past term. We have appreciated your availability, dedication and balanced open minded response to the issues raised on behalf of our local Community.
Dave and Neryl Jeffries – Menzies Creek

Many thanks for your willingness to listen to ratepayer concerns in your role as Lyster Ward councillor. You have managed to strike a good balance between helping members of your local community to deal with local problems, while also engaging actively with the big-picture issues for the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Rob Lister – Menzies Creek