Wonthaggi Power turfs delays in welcome deal with local shire
There's been a great outcome to cooperation between the Bass Coast Shire Council, Sport and Recreation Victoria and the Wonthaggi Football Netball Club representing users of the Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve.
THERE’S been a great outcome to cooperation between the Bass Coast Shire Council, Sport and Recreation Victoria and the Wonthaggi Football Netball Club representing users of the Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve.
Instead of contemplating a potentially disastrous 12 months or more off the main Wonthaggi oval, while almost $750,000 worth of upgrade works went ahead, the club has been able to negotiate a far better outcome.
In fact they look like being back playing their home games on the oval, with all works completed, in time for the start of the new season in April 2027.
President of the Wonthaggi FNC Darren Brown said the whole club, and other users of the oval, were delighted.
“As part of the $750,000 worth of work on the oval, they’ll be completely reconstructing the playing field, installing new sub-surface drainage and irrigation systems but the money only extended to planting grass sprigs ands waiting for it to grow and establish,” said Darren.
“We were looking at missing the whole 2027 season at home, possibly more, and having to train and play elsewhere.
“The plan had been to play our home games at Dalyston or somewhere else but the reality is that we would have been looking for venues for football on both Saturday and Sunday, fitting in with the schedule at Dalyston and elsewhere; it would have been a nightmare.
“It would also have placed huge pressure on those facilities, potentially to the detriment of the condition of host clubs’ ground.
“But it’s not only the footy. This oval is one of the town’s main recreation areas, used every day of the year, if not by people coming up here and running laps or taking the dog for a run, by local schools for their sports days, visiting sporting teams, the cricketers, the show people, and fundraising events like the car show and much more.
“As a town, we really couldn’t have afforded to have it out of action for 12 months or more,” he said.
“Thankfully the council, the shire’s administration and their parks team have been fantastic.”
Mr Brown said almost $750,000 in funding, including $250,000 from the state government’s Country Football Netball Program, only extended to replanting grass after the oval reconstruction works but following agreement from the shire, the Wonthaggi FNC would stump up the necessary $75,000 to bridge the gap between planting out and turfing the oval.
“Following negotiations with the shire and the turf people, we’ve been able to negotiate a cost we can handle, and the oval will now be turfed.
“It’s a huge outcome,” he said.
Mr Brown said Wonthaggi had also been in discussions with the Gippsland League about rescheduling early matches and back-ending home games where possible to alleviate early season pressure on the oval.
But the important initiative, of being able to provide Wonthaggi Power with continuity through 2027 has not come without its challenges.
“We’ve taken on the task of raising an additional $75,000, over an above what we need to run the club, and we’ll soon be launching a special effort for that.”
Along the lines of the Glenn McGrath “Pink Test” fundraiser, Wonthaggi Power will soon be launching their own “Virtual Turf” appeal, calling on supporters and anyone connected with the clubs, past and present, to buy a roll of turf, with all donors having their names, or the player or club official they wish to remember with a donation included on an honour roll.
“We’ll be kicking off that special effort in the next few weeks,” said Darren.
Work has already started on the oval reconstruction with contractors, Hendriksen, stripping grass and the top layer of soil from the hallowed turf at Wonthaggi, ahead of adding drainage, irrigation and new levels across the ground.
Excess soil will go to the Wonthaggi motorbike track in a win-win for local sport.
The scope of the works will include:
- Stripping of the existing thatch layer from turf surface.
- Removal of the existing irrigation and any sub-surface drainage.
- Reshaping of the field to reflect the new surface shape.
- Installation of the new sub-surface drainage and irrigation systems.
- Installation of a new irrigation holding tank and associated hardware.
- Undertake turfing of the new surface and maintenance throughout the establishment period.
To stay up to date with the progress of works you can go to the Engage Bass Coast webpage HERE
