Residents back Sturt Saints Baseball Club to stay at City of Mitcham Reserve

Neighbours of the Sturt Saints Baseball Club are backing the Club to keep using the City of Mitcham's W A Norman Reserve.
As reported in a feature in the latest issue of Australasian Leisure Management, the suburban ground does not meet Baseball SA ground dimensions, with its longest dimension being 14 metres shorter than the recommended length.
This, and its close proximity to the public domain and local roads has raised concerns over the frequency with which baseballs are hit out of the ground striking houses and potentially residents and their vehicles.
With the Club's lease with the City of Mitcham up for renewal in April, the Council has undertaken consulations and held public meetings to gauge community feedback.
The Council also commissioned a safety audit by Reliance Risk to assess the dangers of errant baseballs entering communal spaces.
As reported in the latest issue of Australasian Leisure Management, the report's author Wayne Middleton said "the report provides an objective assessment of the risks associated with playing baseball at this ground. We considered the views of all stakeholders in providing a range of options to reduce risks for the public, the Council and the Sturt Club."
Residents at the most recent public meeting overwhelmingly backed the Saints remaining at the W A Norman Reserve, which it has called home for 40 years, saying that the baseball club was good for the area.
The Reliance Risk report found that an average of ten balls were leaving the ground during Baseball SA division one matches - at speeds of up to one hundred kilometres per hour - with the risks reducing in lower grades.
Should the club's lease be renewed, it plans to spend up to $150,000 upgrading the site, including 12 metres high fencing and new nets around the main diamond to stop 93% of stray balls.
While neighbours welcomed the Club staying at the ground, some expressed concern that ratepayers and not the Club would end paying for the ground upgrades.
The potential loss of their home ground would not only affect the Sturt Saints, but also have implications for baseball in public domains across Australia.
The Australasian Leisure Management feature 'Home Runs: Rogue Balls' by Tony Salerno, can be read in the January/February 2013 issue of the magazine.
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