Works to dry up reserve

By Paul Dunlop
SPORTING facilities in Garfield are about to get a major upgrade.
Cardinia Shire Council last week signed off on a $362,000 project to reconstruct the town’s recreation reserve oval.
The works are expected to spell an end to drainage problems at the ground, dramatically improving playing conditions during wet winters.
But council was forced to compromise on its initial plans after contractors’ tenders for the works were well above the initial budget of $350,000.
Councillors at a special meeting on Thursday agreed to increase funding for the project by $12,480, appointing Hendriksen Contractors of Skye to carry out the works.
Councillors also agreed to modify the project, allowing a reduction in the amount of sand to be laid on the surface as part of drainage system works.
Councillors and officers said the move would have little impact on the overall result.
Cr Bill Ronald had questioned whether reducing the sand depth to 200 millimetres would affect the quality of the finished job.
Cr Helen Ward said she had been assured by shire officers it would not. Cr Ward said she had every confidence the finished project would be of the highest quality.
“We are not compromising the outcome of this project whatsoever,” she said.
Cr Ronald also questioned the reason for the discrepancy between the initial estimates provided to council by consultants Sportsturf Australia and the six companies that tendered for the project.
Council chief executive officer Don Welsh said machinery costs and other expenses had skyrocketed in recent times.
Cr Ward said the improvements to the playing surface were desperately needed. She said it was important the works began as soon as possible to minimise the impact on Garfield Football Club and other user groups.
A recent assessment of all playing fields in Cardinia Shire put Garfield at the top of the priority list for improvement.
The reconstruction will provide an allweather playing surface that should be among the best in the region after the works are complete.
The project includes:
Stripping the existing grass from the surface;
Installing a complete network of subsurface drains;
An automatic irrigation system;
The provision of a sand layer over the entire surface as an integral part of the drainage system;
Resowing the surface with a couch grass suitable for the many uses of the reserve.
An officer’s report to council’s meeting said the works needed to be completed before summer to allow for the surface to settle and the grass to establish.
It is expected the oval will be out of action until June, 2006 at the earliest, with Garfield footballers looking to play and train elsewhere until their improved ground is ready.