The redevelopment of the Eastern Oval at Brierly Reserve is progressing well and on track to be completed as planned by June-July this year.
The concrete pad was poured this week that will provide the foundation for the synthetic turf cricket wicket.
The first load of 2,000 cubic metres of river sand will arrive shortly to be installed as the base ready for the grass turf rollout.
The rollout of turf will begin in late April 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.
In other related news Council is 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 we aim for a hub that meets community needs. It will also inform a business case for the project which will be required for attracting Victorian and Australian government funding.
In March a delegation of Councillors and senior staff discussed funding for Brierly Reserve with Victorian Parliamentarians as part of Council’s advocacy efforts.
