Shoalhaven City Council commences work on Artie Smith Oval Bomaderry Project Redevelopment

Shoalhaven City Council has started work on the redevelopment of Artie Smith Oval Bomaderry Project which will include new AFL and cricket pitches, croquet courts, cricket practice facility (nets), a pavilion / clubhouse and landscaped open space for the community and visitors to enjoy.

Shoalhaven City Council Director of City Lifestyles, Jane Lewis advises that Council is one step closer to building a world class sporting precinct for the whole of the Shoalhaven and notes “this will create an outstanding regional sporting facility for our local sporting clubs which is also capable of hosting significant sporting events for our community and visitors to the Shoalhaven to enjoy.

“The redevelopment design will retain and embellish the current and significant stands of native trees. We are planting 77 new trees, 45 of which are of the same species as the significant trees on site (scribbly gum and Red Bloodwood) and all up an additional 30,465 of plantings (from trees to grasses) will be established on the site.”

“The buildings and facilities design aims to sit comfortably amongst the semi-bushland setting of Bomaderry, allowing the current line of eucalypts to remain significant to the field and amenities.”

“Maintaining the semi-bushland setting has been integral to the design considerations with a sympathetic tapering Pavilion Clubhouse building form to allow the line of eucalypts behind to remain significant in the sense of enclosure to the field and as an amenity to the overall streetscape.”

Lewis adds “this next stage of the $20 million project has an $8 million investment to upgrade Artie Smith Oval from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, co-funded by the Federal and NSW State Government, with a further $12 million investment by Shoalhaven City Council.”

Local State Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock said the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund is one part of the $4.5 billion overarching bushfire support program co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments for bushfire recovery, response and preparedness in NSW.

Hancock advised “almost two years have passed since we cleared 3,600 properties across NSW that were damaged or destroyed by the Black Summer bushfires and we are continuing to deliver the support that our region needs to keep moving forward in recovery.

“People are rebuilding their lives and through the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund we are backing projects that will bring communities together, support tourism, provide improved or new social amenity, and increase preparedness to future bushfires. All of these things play a part in recovery.”

Council will be working with the community to deliver a community facility for the new Artie Smith Oval which will include:

• New AFL/Cricket with 5 turf wickets, floodlighting, irrigation drainage, picket fencing, electronic scoreboard, sight screens, and spectator seating/mounding

• AFL/Cricket Pavilion Clubhouse and amenities

• Cricket Practice facility (four yynthetic pitches, four turf pitches, storage shed)

• Four croquet courts

• Croquet clubhouse and amenities

• Onsite car parking

• Open space embellishments (pathways, playgrounds, exercise equipment, landscaping, furniture, etc.)

• Perimeter security fencing

The construction will use low maintenance, durable and robust materials such as brick, steel, concrete and some hardwood. The completed project will provide accessible open space and sporting facilities for all ages and abilities, designed for the comfort of users and spectators.

For information on this project go to the Shoalhaven Community and Recreation Precinct (SCaRP) Get Involved web page.