Turf laid on Rologas sports field

Armidale Dumaresq Council in association with the Armidale Sports Council earmarked the Rologas Sporting Fields for significant upgrades to the playing surface and associated infrastructure.

The facility, between Marsh and Taylor Streets, is the most utilised sporting venue for cricket, soccer and touch football. 

Once the works are complete the venue has the potential to attract regional sporting competitions to the city, according to Armidale Dumaresq Cr and sports council member Colin Gadd.

Specialist contractors Green Horticulture started rehabilitation works late last year, rectifying subsoil drainage problems, extensive surface undulations and an uneven overall surface gradient.

Significant rain around Christmas delayed the project, however, once the ground dried out contractors used the latest digital terrain modelling technology undertaken by a local surveyor and uploaded into a laser guided grader.

 Contractors were hopeful the new playing surfaces might be ready for use this coming winter season.

“The irrigation system has been upgraded to ensure there are no unwatered areas and so far the weather is on our side,” Cr Gadd said.

“With predicted warm conditions it’s all systems go.

The turf should be completed this week and we hope that the warm conditions continue as long as possible into autumn to increase the length of the growing period. The quicker the turf establishes the sooner local sporting clubs can return to the field.”

Turf supplied in Maxi rolls is being transported from Windsor by the semi trailer load every day and is being machine laid across the fields.

This part of the project requires a well coordinated team effort. Sand slit drainage lines will be trenched in once the turf has established and the whole field will be over sown with Perennial rye grass in autumn to improve winter coverage.

Caption: Maxi rolls of turf being machine laid across Rologas Sporting Fields.