QUEANBEYAN mayor Tim Overall says the first stage of proposed upgrades and refurbishment at Seiffert Oval could cost in the order of $750,000.
According to Cr Overall, a committee of relevant Seiffert Oval stakeholders including Queanbeyan City Council staff and representatives from the Queanbeyan Blues and Monaro Panthers is in the process of developing a management plan for the facility.
“As Seiffert Oval is under trusteeship of council, it is a requirement that there is a management plan in place and work is undertaken to assess the priority needs for refurbishment and upgrading,” Cr Overall told The Queanbeyan Age.
Cr Overall said initial work would focus on ground surrounds including amenities, the grand stand, the scoreboard and other internal facilities. And he said initial work could approach three quarters of a million dollars.
“I’d say costs for stage one refurbishment and upgrade [of Seiffert Oval] could well be in the order of $750,000,” Cr Overall said. “You’ve only got to look around to see it’s looking pretty shabby. “
Facilities at Seiffert Oval have come under scrutiny recently with some patrons particularly critical of the condition of the ground’s toilets.
Queanbeyan Blues players, for whom Seiffert Oval serves as their home ground, have also taken issue with the quality of the playing surface which has been labelled “a disgrace” by club stalwart and council candidate Keni Kawaleva.
Cr Overall however, said work on the playing surface was already undertaken regularly by council.
“The playing surface is subject to annual and regular maintenance and is something we handle within our existing [council] budget,” he said. “The most important aspect of ground maintenance is ensuring the ground is not overused in terms of training and is kept in top condition for first-grade competition.”
Cr Overall also said he was largely happy with how the ground had been managed since control for the facility was passed back to council last year.
“I am generally happy with the situation,” he said. “There are some minor works that will be receiving immediate attention but those can be funded from within existing council budgets.”
