Community
12 April, 2024
Brierly upgrade on track
WORKS on the upgrade of the eastern oval at Brierly Reserve is on track to be completed by June-July this year.
Last week saw the pouring of the concrete pad that will provide the foundation for the synthetic turf cricket wicket and it’s anticipated the first load of 2,000 cubic metres of river sand will arrive shortly.
The river sand will provide a base, ready for the grass turf rollout.
It is anticipated the rollout of turf will begin later this month and be completed in May, with the new surface to be ready for the cricket season later this year.
To ensure the best possible long-term outcome council will allow the turf to “settle in” and establish a strong root system.
New lighting towers will be installed in May and provide enough light to meet Football Victoria’s semi-professional competition and professional training requirements.
“This is leading towards a really great outcome for the north-east Warrnambool community and for those involved in soccer and cricket,” Warrnambool mayor Cr Ben Blain said.
“The playing surface will be vastly improved and the reconfiguration of the oval creates two new soccer fields for what is a growing sport in the south west.”
Warrnambool Rangers Soccer Club will relocate from Jones Oval to the reserve’s new soccer fields in 2025.
Council is also in the process of sourcing a community engagement specialist to work with the north-east Warrnambool community to develop a function brief for a Sports and Community Hub at Brierly.
This is an important step in the delivery of the master plan because it will ensure council aims for a hub that meets community needs.
It will also inform a business case for the project which will be required for attracting state and federal government funding.
In March a delegation of councillors and senior staff discussed funding for Brierly Reserve with state parliamentarians as part of council’s advocacy efforts.
