$40K Renovation for Bull Paddock

Published on 19 October 2017

Major works at Tumut’s Bullpaddock will soon be underway with the $40,000 surface refurbishment project set to start next week.

Council’s Director of Infrastructure and Assets Matthew Christensen said that once finished, the Bullpaddock project would enhance the quality of the sportsground, providing an invaluable facility for our local sports groups and helping to attract sports competitions and other events into the area.

“The extreme wet weather that we experienced in the region last year meant that the Bullpaddock was underwater for some time. This has exacerbated the compacting and surface damage on the field, and it’s now posing safety issues for our users,” he said.

The staged project will see the complete rehabilitation of a major section of the fields.

“Stage one kicks off next week, where our Parks and Open Spaces team will spray out the existing grass and weed cover on the section that we’ll be working on using the common herbicide glysophate,” he said.

Mr Christensen expects that the surface works would begin in earnest in early November.

“The surface will be tilled and power harrowed in preparation for levelling, top dressing and planting,” Mr Christensen explained.

The grasses selected for the Bullpaddock include both a summer and winter grass, ensuring good surface coverage all year round.

“In this phase of the works, we’ll be line-planting couch, and then in autumn, we’ll oversow the surface with a rye grass mix. The end result should be a superior playing surface for our local users,” he said.

Residents and users are advised that the affected section of the Bullpaddock will be closed to the public until early February, dependent on the weather.

“Our works teams will be busy with intensive irrigation programs during the summer to get the surface off to a great start. Unfortunately, this means that our regular users won’t have access to this part of the field until February, and even that depends on the season ahead,” he said.

Mr Christensen said that the user groups have been very supportive of the planned works.

“Ultimately, this work will leave us with a better playing surface that is safe for our sports groups and users. It’s important we get it right,” he said.

The affected area of the Bullpaddock includes a large section on the northern end of the fields. The area will be cordoned off whilst work is underway and the area will be signed.

“We ask the public not to enter the work area while we’re underway. Not only is it a personal safety risk, but it could ultimately impact on the quality of the finished product,” Mr Christensen said.

Feedback and inquiries relating to the Bullpaddock surface refurbishment are encouraged, and can be directed to Mr Matthew Christensen on 69412525 or by email to [email protected].