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Melbourne City Council

15 May 2009 12:00AM
Article by Matt Johnston

Melbourne City Council wants to install synthetic turf at Princes Park or Holland Park to restart kick-to-kick football and organised sport.

The plan comes two months after Lord Mayor Robert Doyle faced complaints over a policy banning groups playing kick-to-kick because it was killing the grass. The MCC has allocated funds in its 2009-10 budget to rip up some grass to install a synthetic turf pitch.

Princes Park user Robyn Matthews said it would be a shame for children playing in parks: "Many kids need it because they live in high rises."

But sports fans Tom Jenkins and Al Hancock said they would put up with fake grass because they had been stopped from training on drought-affected Princes Park.

"We have to use the uni (Melbourne University) at the moment which is (artificial) anyway," Mr Jenkins said.

The synthetic turf plan is part of a $4.15 million drought-proofing package.

Cr Doyle said a synthetic field would be built.