The cost of installing Wollongong’s first synthetic football pitch has been confirmed at more than $2 million.
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The project – slated for Ian McLennan Park at Kembla Grange – has been years in the planning, but is due to get the construction go ahead at next week’s council meeting.
Staff have recommended councillors sign off on a tender of $2,071,000, submitted by southern Sydney company Polytan Asia Pacific Pty.
This cost – which will top $2.2 million with GST – is in line with estimates given by council staff mid-last year, but is a significant cost blow out from the original estimates of around $1.5 million.
Additionally, Wollongong council has put the total cost of delivering the project (including design) at $3.2 million, with figures indicating there remains a funding shortfall of about $440,000.
Last year, the council had to free up an extra $700,000 in this year’s budget to make sure it would be able to deliver the new sportsfield.
Under the tender submitted by Polytan, the work will be include a 68 by 100-metre synthetic pitch on the main field to comply with all Football NSW requirements.
The company will also install lighting to the main field, sportsfield fencing around the main pitch, player dugouts and steel fencing around the site boundary.
Drainage work and minor natural turf remediation works were also requested as part of the tender and are included in the $2.07 million.
It also includes the costs of specialised equipment required to maintain the synthetic pitch and a partnered maintenance approach, which means Football South Coast and the contractor will jointly undertake maintenance.
On top of this work, the council said Football South Coast had agreed to kick in an extra $200,000 for improved turf infill and LED lighting on all fields. These works were beyond the council’s agreed scope of the project.
The council had strict requirements for companies wishing to bid for the project, asking that they be a FIFA licensee or preferred producer and that they had installed at least one synthetic turf field to FIFA quality standards in the last three years.
Council staff say Polytan “has submitted an acceptable tender”, which should be endorsed by councillors.
In addition to the $1.4 million in council funds, the project will be funded by $600,000 from Football South Coast’s community funds.
Another $60,000 comes from the NSW Government’s community grants and $500,000 is from Club Grants, a scheme which allows large clubs to claim a tax rebate on their poker machine profits above $1 million if they spend the equivalent amount on community projects.