Western Suburbs rugby league club has been fined more than $45,000 for repairs to Ford Oval and surrounds, which were severely damaged after heavy downpours.
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The parkland around the New Lambton oval was torn up by tyre tracks on Saturday, September 3 when cars used the site for parking to attend local junior grand finals.
City of Newcastle said the oval's wicket square was closed the day prior due to inclement weather, but games went ahead on the field anyway on the Saturday, causing further damage.
Council has issued a fine to Western Suburbs Schoolboys Rugby League club for the damage, which it says will take "extensive remediation work" to repair.
It is the third breach of licence council has issued to the juniors club this year, following other breach notices in April and May. The Western Suburbs club has been hit with five of the six breach notices council has issued across all sporting codes in 2022.
Council said due to the numerous breaches, it was in discussions with Hunter Junior Rugby League and proposed to issue the 2023 winter licence for Ford Oval to the league to manage with the club.
Western Suburbs was approached for comment, however it referred the Herald onto NSW Rugby League, saying that organisation gave the authority for games to go ahead on Ford Oval. However, NSW Rugby League did not respond to requests for comment before deadline.
The fine issued to the club is $1,500 plus the "full cost recovery" to cover the price of remediation works, which council set at $45,000.
However council said in this instance, it would discount the charge to $25,000 if the invoice is paid in full within 30 days.
Repair works include surface levelling, filling of ruts, fertilisation and remediation of the turf wicket square.
The oval will be closed for the start of the summer sport season in a few weeks time, affecting other user groups including include Newcastle District Cricket Association, Newcastle Districts Suburban Cricket, Newcastle Junior Cricket, Western Suburbs District Cricket Club and Newcastle Oztag.
Council said it had been in touch with those groups, and organised substitute venues where possible.
The field will also not be available for the Western Suburbs Schoolboys presentation day in October, but alternative options will again be discussed.
The oval is expected to reopen the week starting October 24, weather permitting.
Remediation on the parkland will take an "unspecified amount of time", council said, due to the deep wheel ruts and standing water that needs to dry out before remediation works begin.
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Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
