The Shellharbour Sharks senior and junior rugby league clubs will hold a Christmas fund-raiser at Ron Costello Oval tomorrow to help save the club's new grandstands.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Work on the two 360-seat stands ground to a halt earlier this year after it was found the concrete steps fell 1 centimetre short of building codes.
Shellharbour City Rugby League Football Club president Peter Blaine said a solution had been found, but along with other necessary improvements would cost about $20,000.
"There's a couple of issues but the main one was the stairs not conforming and they wanted some additional work done on the handrails, which is all achievable now," he said.
"We attempted to have [the stands] open for the start of the competition in 2012. Now, it's a tall ask but we're attempting to have them approved and open for a trial on February 9, where ourselves and the Illawarra Cutters are playing against the Windsor Wolves."
The issues with the grandstands have been a thorn in the club's side. Mr Blaine said the same concrete structures had been used during the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
To make the concrete stairs comply with Australian standards it was intended to attach a non-slip aluminium nosing to each step, extending them out by about 1 centimetre, he said.
The event starts at 11am and entry will be by a gold coin donation. It will include market stalls, rides for children, music, a car market, white elephant and cake stalls.
Visit www.shellharboursharks.com.au for information.
