SIMMERING tension between the Albury Umpires League and AFL North-East Border has surfaced at Albury Council over future management of the Noreuil Park clubrooms.
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The AUL has been a long-term tenant of Noreuil Park and joined forces with the Albury Tigers senior and junior football clubs to maintain its presence at the venue with the latest lease expiring on December 31.
After a marathon expressions of interest for use of the facility, council staff recommended AFLNEB be awarded the latest 10-year licence and negotiate with the AUL-Albury Tigers joint venture about ongoing access for training requirements.
But the matter will drag into the new year with councillors this week deferring a decision until the parties had met and reached agreement about future access.
In 2014, AFLNEB took charge of umpiring, but AUL still exists and supplies umpires to leagues not affiliated with AFLNEB.
AUL life member Roger Lescun and Albury Tigers junior club president Ash Wills raised concerns with AFLNEB being in charge at Noreuil Park.
“It seems fairly harsh to give up a facility we built, are still maintaining and still operating as council requires,” Mr Lescun said.
“We are aware of (AFLNEB’s) approach or feelings if you like about our existence.”
Mr Wills said: “One of the concerns is if AFLNEB takes control of this facility what are the parameters that guarantee the other local entities of being granted use of that ground?”
Cr Henk van de Ven said he was aware of the tension between the two groups given his business had been a former sponsor of the AUL.
He said due to AFLNEB being the peak body in the region it had an obligation to ensure no party was disadvantaged, but his personal preference was for the two bodies to resolve their grievances and merge.
“It makes ultimate sense in the fact you are all doing the same thing,” he said.
AFLNEB general manager John O’Donohue said its EOI had been supported by council management with the intention of getting the best outcome for umpiring in the area.
“It’s about the next 10 years and ensuring that umpires who umpire games in our region have a home that is suitable and meets their needs,” he said.
The AUL-Albury Tigers joint venture was prepared to commit more investment into Noreuil Park than AFLNEB had it been successful with the EOI.
Proposed improvements included $200,000 upgrade of the changerooms and erection of a scoreboard.
Tentative plans to build a fence around the Noreuil Park ground were dropped during the EOI process.
The AUL-Albury Tigers joint venture also proposed a 21-year licence.
The AFLNEB has committed an initial investment of $40,000.
It is presently responsible for more than 50 umpires servicing seven leagues and has been training at Xavier High School since relations with AUL broke down in 2016.
The current Noreuil Park licence incurs an annual fee of $542.30.
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