The Courier |
MUDDY days will soon be a thing of the past at Wendouree Reserve.
The traditionally heavy and waterlogged ground will be completely resurfaced at the end of the 2014 Ballarat Football League season, in a $1.05 million project designed to make it among the best playing surfaces in Ballarat.
Ballarat City Council has announced plans to not only resurface the oval, but also construct new change rooms and netball courts by 2017.
The reconstruction forms part of a grand plan to bring all six BFL grounds in Ballarat to the same standard as the Eastern Oval over the next five years.
Wendouree Reserve has been identified as the highest priority, with Alfredton Oval, Marty Busch Reserve and City Oval to follow in an order yet to be decided.
Lake Wendouree president Dave Clifton said the plans shone as a light at the end of the tunnel following years of sub-standard ground conditions.
Clifton said the poor facilities at the club undoubtedly had a negative burden on the club, impacting recruiting and the willingness of people to join the Lakers.
“It’s very promising for us, it gives the club a whole new direction,” he said.
“We’ve probably been behind most of the other clubs in the league for years, we felt it was our time.
“In the drought we couldn’t play games here because it was too hard and in the rain it turns to mud.”
Two new change rooms will also be built on the eastern side of the ground, with the current change rooms (which are old tractor sheds) to most likely be knocked down.
The junior oval is also expected to be resurfaced, possibly even made into a synthetic oval.
“Off the field we think everything is heading in the right direction and we are doing the right things. This will definitely help us along the way though,” Clifton said.
Just last week, Sunbury requested its Saturday match at Wendouree Reserve be moved to Eastern Oval, claiming the oval was too muddy.
Lake Wendouree said it would have moved, but a sponsors day had already been organised for Saturday.
City of Ballarat councillor Des Hudson said it was hoped all works would be done over the summer of 2014-15, with the ground ready in time for the 2015 BFL season.
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