Around $1 million will be spent to significantly improve the sportsgrounds at Duffys Reserve in Terrigal and Hylton Moore Park in Springfield.
The upgrades will include ground levelling works, as well as the installation of better drainage and irrigation systems, to improve the playing surfaces and reduce the number of ground closures.
Duffys Reserve was developed on a retention basin and as such is designed as a flood storage area.
Consequently, the sportsground drainage is poor.
Duffys Reserve is a highly utilised sportsground allocated to rugby league and soccer during the winter sporting season and cricket and little athletics in the summer.
Terrigal High School utilises the oval once a week while Wamberal, Terrigal and Erina Heights Public Schools also use the oval each week for combined weekly school sport.
Over recent years, Duffys Oval has been significantly impacted by ongoing periods of inclement weather.
Sodden conditions, poor turf health and uneven playing surfaces have resulted in a high number of ground closures affecting both junior and senior training and competitions across all codes.
Furthermore, relentless year round use exacerbates turf wear and tear with minimal time to re-establish between uses.
Hylton Moore Park was developed on a reclaimed landfill site.
Typical of these sportsgrounds is poor compaction of the underlying waste that decomposes at differing rates causing undulation in the playing surfaces, poor drainage, diminished visual amenity and significant risk to ground users.
To address this, council implemented the Landfill Rehabilitation Scheme (LRS) as part of the Domestic Waste Management Charge in 1997 to provide funding for the rehabilitation of these sportsgrounds.
A recent conditional review of Councils LRS sportsgrounds ranked Hylton Moore Park Field five and six as a high priority for requiring levelling, irrigation and drainage.
Gosford Council agenda
GRO.10, 12 Aug 2014