Rec reserve gets a facelift
The Recreation Reserve in Cowes is about to get a $300,000 makeover, with work starting this week.
The Recreation Reserve in Cowes is about to get a $300,000 makeover, with work starting this week.
The rejuvenation work includes 12 weeks of “turf establishment and maintenance” and is expected to be completed by the end of January 2024.
Access to the site will be limited during this time, with the oval expected to be closed for several months.
Council said the length of the project will be determined by weather and contractor and supplier availability.
The project includes a drainage upgrade, resurfacing and “warm season grass conversion” for the oval, which a council spokesperson said would “bring the performance of this deteriorated oval to a level conducive to playing local football and cricket”.
There will be some reshaping and earthworks to allow better rainfall run off.
The existing irrigation will be reinstated.
A concrete synthetic cricket pitch will be installed and there will be turf sprigging works.
The oval will be closed to the public during the construction and turf maintenance part of the project which is expected to take several months.
Bass Coast Shire Council said the area is considered a construction zone and as such, for public safety, there will be no public access.
“A temporary perimeter fence will be installed to stop public access to the construction site,” the council spokesperson said.
While acknowledging the lack of access to the oval was an inconvenience, the spokesperson said it was a case of “short term pain for long term gain”, as the eventual outcome will be “a vastly improved oval”.
“That will be a benefit to the community and to the clubs that use it,” they said.
