Minister for Sport and Recreation Chris Steel is seeking community feedback on which of five shortlisted grounds across the territory should receive restoration and facility works, including Weston Creek Oval. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
The ACT Government is seeking community input on which of the territory’s dryland ovals should receive restoration works as sporting participation continues to grow.
Five dryland ovals have been identified through an initial assessment of 32 sites across Canberra as potential options to complement nearby sporting facilities and increase future sportsground capacity, including Lyneham, Weston Creek, Spence, Narrabundah and Torrens.
Minister for Sport and Recreation Chris Steel said the City and Environment Directorate shortlisted the five sites because they each possess key features that could support future reactivation, including car parking availability, deactivated toilet facilities or space for new amenities, and existing irrigation infrastructure that could be recommissioned.
“With a growing population and participation in sport, the ACT Government is looking at options to provide additional capacity for organised sport and higher quality green spaces for informal use,” he said.
“The restoration of dryland ovals, which were switched off in the Millennium Drought, could mean more opportunities for local sporting clubs to support their growth.
“It could also take pressure off existing ovals and ensure those grounds are of a higher quality through the season.”
Mr Steel said consultation would be open through to 12 October with the intention of creating a business case for the 2027/28 budget.
“At the moment, we want to prove the case, understand what benefits there could be for our sporting community and the border community in bringing these ovals back online,” he said.
“That will help to inform a business case, which will be brought forward to the budget to consider investment in restoring these ovals.
“It can cost upwards of $1.5 million to bring one of these dryland ovals back online with the investment in irrigation infrastructure and other amenities, including toilets, so that they’re usable by sporting clubs on the weekend and during the week for training.
“We need to make sure that if we’re going to make an investment of that quantum, that it provides a significant benefit for the sporting community, and that’s what we’re consulting about at the moment.”
Mr Steel said the community consultation, alongside the conversations with existing clubs, would give the ACT Government a clear understanding of the exact needs from the ovals.
“What we’ve heard from sporting clubs is that, with growing participation in sport and a growing population in the city, there is a need to expand the capacity for existing clubs to play more teams, but also to give existing ovals a break as well to spread out the play to make sure that those fields remain in good condition throughout the season, both in winter and in summer,” he said.
“It is equally important that the needs of the recreational users of these ovals, the locals who take their dog for a walk or who come down for a kick of the footy, are heard in the future of these sites.
“As we plan for people living within our existing urban footprint, this is an opportunity to ensure that we enhance the quality of our existing public and recreational spaces for new and existing residents.”
For more information and to have your say on expanding dryland oval use, visit YourSay ACT to complete the survey.
