Wollongong City Council's outdoor crews are closely watching this week's rainfall totals and weather forecast in the hope of more sport being played this weekend.
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Unfortunately, after this week's rain, conditions aren't looking promising as another 30mm has fallen since Monday.
This comes after a positive step last weekend that saw a number of our sports grounds - some fully and others partially - able to be opened to community sport. The games marked the start of a delayed sporting season for both South Coast Football and Junior Rugby League.
A total of 11 out of 42 council-owned or managed grounds opened. Those that opened were Bellambi Oval, Boronia Park, Figtree Oval No. 1, Hollymount Park, Mt Kembla Park, Neville McKinnon (partially open for small-sided soccer only), Noel Mulligan, Reed Park (partially open), Rex Jackson (partially open), Thomas Gibson Park and Ziems Park.
"We had some absolutely spectacular autumn weather last weekend and there was a real buzz in the air at our sports grounds as our kids got their first taste of soccer or rugby league in a while,'' Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.
"It was good to see, and it has been a long time coming. I'd like to thank the representatives from South Coast Football and Junior Rugby League who have been working closely with Council staff to get the fields open in a safe and considered manner.
"Collaboration has been key for us - and the sporting clubs who use these facilities have supported us the challenges we face in getting the fields open whether that be mowing them, moving the goals and seasonal sporting equipment into place, and minimising any potential use to keep them in a better condition for longer.
"Being patient now in theses challenging times will pay off. The sodden fields are easily compacted and grass will be destroyed - grass which will not rejuvenate until the warmer months. Please work with us as we move into winter facing this difficulty together for the best outcome for our kids and sport generally.
"We know how important it is that everyone in our community, particularly the younger members, have the opportunity that sports and other outdoor recreations provides. We know it's important for their health, their wellbeing and connection to community. We're doing everything we can at this time to support the opening of our sports fields and other public spaces at this time while also preventing damage to these valued spaces into the future.''
While the length of the grass in sporting fields and community spaces has been a hot topic of conversation, council staff are also concerned about potential damage to the fields and risk of player injury if they're opened too early and while the ground is still very soft.
"We've been doing our best to mow the pitches as they dry out and conditions permit it, but the heavy rainfalls we experienced through February and March and the regular intermittent rainfalls we have had since have made it near impossible to get our fields with their heavy, dense soils, cut safely,'' Wollongong City Council's Manager Open Space and Environmental Services Paul Tracey said.
"It's an ongoing challenge right across the city. Our greenkeeping staff have been working tirelessly at the Russell Vale Golf Course to get the course to a playable condition but it's closed again for play following Wednesday's (today's) rain.
"We are certainly not being overly-protective of grass cover on our sports fields at this point in time. Rather, our focus is on ensuring we can open our fields safely. We need to ensure the mowing machinery does not leave the fields with divots and undulations that can cause player injury.
Inspection on Friday
"We're also very mindful we need to be cautious in our approach to our sporting fields - or we risk damaging them and seeing them out of action for even longer.
"We have seen the tremendous community effort in using push mowers and whipper snippers to mow some sports fields, but we ask that volunteers and clubs seek advice through their associations before undertaking this work as there is a risk this may result in damage to some fields, which keeps them out of play longer.''
On Friday, council's sports fields staff will inspect all the grounds, and make a call on which - if any - may open. This information will be shared with local clubs, and is available on council's website.
"We're really encouraging community members to talk directly with their sporting clubs for updates and for advice about this year's sporting season as there isn't a one-size-fits all solution to our grounds,'' Mr Tracey said.
"In areas like Figtree, last weekend we were able to open one field, while the rest remain closed. This is something that is likely to continue while we're faced with these weather conditions.
"Sports fields, due to their wide open nature and placement in community tend to be built on land that is more likely to be flood-prone or beside waterways. These areas are naturally more inclined to hold onto water and while some of our fields do dry out quicker than others, with the continued rainfall we're experiencing we know there are some that are going to be boggy for quite some time.''
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