Councillors Pat Toohey and Tom Sullivan last week opposed a motion, which was carried, to assume management of the Department of Sustainability and Environment-managed reserve.

They said the liability risk for the council would be "huge" and sports clubs could be ejected.

Cr Sullivan told the Weekly the planned upgrade of the park was a "double-edged sword".

He said it was useless for councillors in support of the takeover to align it with the council-managed Darley Park, which housed more traditional sports

clubs with tennis, football and netball facilities.

"This is a park with poultry sheds and horses. Campdrafters are not on Darley Park, are they? Now, if you upgrade the Racecourse Reserve, how could you have a junior football activity with campdrafters galloping around?"

Cr Sullivan argued the reserve's 34 buildings were "past their use-by date" and would need to be ripped down in five years.

He said there was a possibility many were riddled with asbestos.

As reported by the Weekly, two of the eight members of the reserve's committee of management had refused to resign.

DSE previously said the resignation of all members was required before it would hand over management, but Cr Allan Comrie said this was no longer the case.

Cr Comrie said none of the users would be ejected.

A member of the poultry club, who asked to stay anonymous, said the club wanted "assurance of tenure" as it had spent more than $150,000 building a poultry shed that could not be moved.