Synthetic turf is on the way in the City of Ryde. Image: Soft Surfaces
The City of Ryde in New South Wales has voted to create a 10-year Synthetic Surfaces Program as part of its Sport and Recreation Strategy that will kick off with selected playgrounds to be re-surfaced with safer soft-fall material.
The Strategy is expected to go on public exhibition in February 2016, with ELS Hall Park No. 1 and Christie Park Nos 1 and 2 set to be developed with all-weather synthetic turf playing surfaces to meet what the council feels is a “soaring demand” for sporting fields in the City of Ryde area.
According to the council, the sporting facilities cannot cope with the high demand and their use is already well over capacity, with fields not being up to standard to cope with growing populations.
And Sydney’s wet weather issues haven’t helped either, leading to higher maintenance which is another tug at council purse strings.
City of Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale, said the decision was a good outcome for the sporting community.
“I am glad that the council has put years of delay and indecision behind it and voted to immediately build synthetic facilities in our city,” Mr Laxale said.
The council has been in a hurry to vote on issues such as this, with the forced amalgamation of Ryde putting it under pressure to get as much achieved before such a move would take place.
“This plan is an investment in the future of sport in our area. It also deals with the short term demand for fields, particularly for winter sport, through a combination of new synthetic turf surfaces, additional lighting and redesign, so we can address the current over-use of playing fields,” Mr Laxale said.
According to the City of Ryde, council staff will now continue planning for construction of synthetic surface fields at Christie Park 1 and 2 and relocation of grandstand by 2017; and construction of a synthetic surface field at ELS Hall Park No 1 (requiring relocation of the turf cricket wicket to Marsfield Park and possible relocation for rugby user group) by 2016.
“I will be working closely with the General Manager to ensure these deadlines are met or bettered. It has taken Council too long to get where we are today, if there is any way that we can get these fields built more quickly, then we’ll do it,” the Mayor said.
Consultation with sporting groups and residents will be undertaken as part of this planning and this will commence in 2016.
Funding for the works will be sourced from the Asset Replacement Reserve and repaid from S94 developer funds when the new Section 94 Plan is adopted (anticipated in 2016).
