Shoalhaven maintains high quality of its sportsgrounds with additional turf improvements

Shoalhaven City Council’s top-dressing program is seeing sportsgrounds across the Shoalhaven benefit from additional repair and maintenance.

Council advise that the main purpose of top-dressing turf with a sand/soil mix is to level the ground to provide an even, quality playing surface for local athletes. A total of 13 sportsgrounds will have been improved in 2020 through an investment of $227,694.

With the help of Special Rate Variation (SRV) funding, the program has expanded in recent years, up from eight sportsgrounds in 2019 and three sportsgrounds in 2018.

Council has also recently completed the 2020 spring sportsfield fertiliser program. The program includes the soil testing and fertilising of 45 individual fields across 26 sporting precincts with the amendments supplied tailored to each sportsground’s individual soil test result.

Targeted soil improvements and nutrient additions improve sports turf density which improves field safety.

The budget expenditure for the fertiliser program was $46,501 and with the help of SRV funding this program has also been expanded in 2020 up from 29 fields across 16 sites in 2019.

Shoalhaven Mayor Amanda Findley notes “in response to community expectation the expansion of the repair and maintenance of sportsfields means more athletes can enjoy quality sportsgrounds. Even surfaces with healthy turf are safer for athletes plus the fertiliser program reduces wastage thanks to the soil testing strategy.

“Special Rate Variation funding is a way of delivering projects our community has asked for, and enables Council to ensure our infrastructure is of a high standard.”

Image: Sportsgrounds across the Shoalhaven have benefited from additional repair and maintenance thanks to Shoalhaven City Council’s top dressing program.