Grandstands closed by a centimetre

It's home ground, named after local boy and Australian league great Ron Costello, is a showpiece and the club's pride and joy.

It boasts outstanding facilities all built as part of a $1 million Federal Government grant that was also used to build two grandstands.

But now fans and visitors to the oval may never be able to use the grandstands, which have been closed during this season.

And it's all over the matter of one centimetre, because the concrete steps, once used at the Sydney Aquatic Centre and then WIN Stadium, don't comply with Australian safety standards.

The stands are off-limits until a resolution can be found, but if the club is forced to pull them down, that would be a case of safety restrictions gone mad.

If they were safe enough to be used at two of the biggest sporting venues in the state then they should be safe enough for a suburban sporting oval.

The club should be given the green light to get on and finish the project without any further delay.

And another thing ...

Families who have loved ones in nursing homes will be reassured by the O'Farrell government's ruling that all of the homes should be fitted with sprinkler systems.

The edict follows last year's fire at Quakers Hill in Sydney where 11 elderly residents perished.

It will be a costly but worthwhile project and deserves the financial support of the federal government.