Wednesday, 11 May 2022

Adjournment

Croydon Ranges Hockey Club

Mr HODGETT (Croydon) (19:00): (6346) My adjournment is for the Minister for Education, and the action I seek is for the minister to advise what the long-term plans are for the use of the oval at the new Croydon Community School on Croydon Road, Croydon. It is wonderful to see the development coming along as the new Croydon Community School build takes shape. This will be a fantastic asset for many local families and for the local community.

Recently I met with Michael Hewlett, the president of the Croydon Ranges Hockey Club. They are currently without a home base and have asked for my assistance to look into some potential suitable options. Hockey clubs require a longer pitch, so often many sporting ovals fall short of the necessary requirements. Whilst there are many options for cricket and football clubs, often hockey clubs fall through the cracks and are not given the same opportunities for access to grounds to train and play games. There are currently 125 000 registered participants who regularly play hockey within Australia. With numbers rising and more people joining the sport, it would be great to see some investment towards the sport.

It would be marvellous if the new Croydon Community School oval could be used as a base for the Croydon Ranges Hockey Club alongside other sporting clubs so as to make it a multi-use facility for the community. If the department can commit to the usage by the Croydon Ranges Hockey Club, the requirements needed could be factored in alongside the school build. I call on the minister to support the Croydon Ranges Hockey Club and help provide them a place to call home.