It has been challenging to say the least, but Maitland Council’s recreation team has pulled out all the stops to prepare the new Maitland Sportsground for its first match on Saturday.
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It will be the first game on the ground since it underwent an $8.6 million redevelopment.
“We started preparing well before Christmas,” council’s recreation and noxious weeds coordinator Brian Worboys said.
“There’s been something going on every day for the last four to six weeks.
“Even over the Christmas break we had guys here making sure the water was coming on correctly.”
That preparation has involved irrigation, mowing and, due to the severe heat over recent months, pest and disease control.
“Mother nature has thrown a lot at us in terms of how dry it is,” Mr Worboys said. “We’ve had a few disease problems. It’s been a challenging year for greens keeping.
“We’ve had to pull out all the stops to get there.
“There’s always an extra percentage of improvement that could be made, but we’re quite happy.”
Also happy with the ground was Knights coach Nathan Brown, who told Fairfax Media this week that if Maitland Sportsground was “not the best country ground around, it would be in the top couple”.
“The comments from the Knights certainly assist us in knowing we were on the right track,” Mr Worboys said.
“We’re quite proud and happy with our achievements.”
The team was aided by a new moisture sensing technology, which automatically switches on and off to prevent dryness and over-watering. “Not many councils have that across NSW,” Mr Worboys said.
There was some disappointment across the community when the ground remained closed after completion of the new grandstand in May.
Mr Worboys said the ground “wasn’t quite ready”, and taking the extra time to prepare has been better in the long run.
“By allowing the time for the ground to proper establish we’ve had the opportunity to ensure its longevity,” he said.
After Saturday’s matches, the irrigation will be switched straight back on. The team will then take Sunday to breathe before jumping straight back in again on Monday.
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.
