Anger at the Oatlands Golf Club’s rejection of a memorial to crash victims is being felt among its members.

The largest space deemed ‘appropriate’ by the club for the Abdallah and Sakr families’ memorial is only 3m by 1.5m (see full statement from Oatlands Golf Club below).

Oatlands members John Paul and Joey called in to voice their frustration with the board’s decision, criticising the lack of communication and calling for an open vote on the proposal.

“Personally, I would’ve loved to see the memorial there, the family deserve it,” John Paul told Deborah Knight.

“I would’ve liked, also, to have been made aware of the situation more as the negotiations were taking place.”

Joey echoed John Paul’s comments.

“I’m very disappointed … we don’t have any details.

“The detail that we’ve been given is the detail that I’ve seen from the media.”

Press PLAY below to hear their concerns

The club have declined multiple interview requests from Afternoons, instead providing a written statement questioning the “integrity of reporting”.

Full statement from Oatlands Golf Club:

“Oatlands Golf Club has been in discussions with the Abdallah and Sakr families, Parramatta Council, and State MP Geoff Lee with regard to a potential memorial at the Bettington Road accident site.

“Throughout these discussions the Club has consistently represented the position that a modest memorial consisting of four small memorial stones, set in a garden would be considered appropriate to be submitted to the membership for consideration at a Special Meeting.

“As of March 2021, all concepts submitted by Parramatta Council on behalf of the families have been well outside the scale of what had been communicated as appropriate.

“The Golf Club called a meeting on 26th March 2021 with the Abdallah and Sakr families, Parramatta Council and Minister Lee and requested support from the families for a memorial of a modest scale.

“This was rejected by the Abdallah and Sakr families.

“In light of there being no support from the families for a memorial that the Board has deemed appropriate to take to the membership, the Board has no option but to close this matter.”