MARONG will lose its harness training track after City of Greater Bendigo councillors voted through a long term vision for the Malone Park sporting precinct.
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The vote came despite the Marong Light Harness Club's continued opposition and concerns in nearly half the submissions to a community consultation process.
Councillors voted unanimously to adopt a new master plan with no trotting track for the 43-hectare sports precinct.
The nine vote endorsement will trigger a council search for a venue used by equestrian clubs for the better part of 50 years.
"We've been there for so long. Why would you turn your back on that?" club president Wally Newton said in the days before the vote.
The club had warned its future could be in doubt if forced to move.
Council officers told elected officials that the track should make way for "substantial" changes at Malone Park.
Moving the club could free-up space for the equivalent of two-extra football grounds in a suburb with higher-than-average numbers of Australian Rules players and multiple sporting clubs, they said in a discussion paper circulated before Monday night's vote.
Exactly where and when the trotting track will close is yet to be determined but the master plan envisions the site becoming two football ovals, with options for soccer and other sports.
Council officers previously floated the possibility of upgrading a track 20 minutes away from Marong at Sebastian, though councillors made no decision on that when they voted on Monday.
Cr Jennifer Alden acknowledged change would be hard but saw potential for good outcomes, considering some harness racers already travel into Marong for training.
"I would respectively suggest this is the best decision for the whole community," she sad.
She pointed to expectations the suburb's population will quadruple over the coming two decades, heaping pressure on sporting grounds for football, netball, soccer and other sports.
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Some harness racing figures had hoped the council would give more time for consultations but Cr Greg Penna said no more was needed.
"This 10 months was more than enough time for all to comment, to seek changes and input, and to suggest ... ideas to council, He said.
He felt that giving the trotting track over to other sports would make the space more flexible.
Cr Margaret O'Rourke said it was an opportunity for clubs that use the track to double down on discussions about their future home with the council in the years to come.
"As much as this will be difficult, I think there will be greater opportunities that might ... present themselves," she said.
Cr Matthew Evans said the council had to make a long term decision, hence his support for moving the club.
"All in all I think this will be a wonderful, transformative plan for ... football, netball, cricket, a number of sports," he said.
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