The delivery of thousands of tonnes of sand has begun as the next stage of the Orange Sports Precinct project unfolds.
PRECINCT: Sand is being stockpiled at the Sports Precinct site.
In short: Orange's biggest sand-pit is temporarily at the Forest Road Sports Precinct.
The sand is coming from a quarry at Eugowra.
What's next: The sand will be spread on eight new sports fields to improve drainage, then topped with turf.
Construction is well under way at the sports precinct on eight sports fields, incorporating three cricket fields.
The next stage sees the new sporting fields being covered with a layer of 200mm of sand under the grass to improve drainage. This sand is being imported to the site.
For the next two weeks between 20 and 25 trucks a day will be bringing 28,000 tonnes of sand from the quarry at Eugowra to Orange. Each truck and dog-trailer carries around 35 tonnes of sand. Work at the construction site will re-start after the holiday break and it's expected the sand will be delivered for another three weeks in January.
Orange Mayor Tony Mileto is pleased to see more steady progress at the precinct construction site.
"Local footballers know that many sporting fields in Orange struggle after heavy rain," Cr Tony Mileto said. "For the first time we're installing a high-quality drainage system topped with 200mm of sand that becomes the growing medium for the hard-wearing couch grass."
"Currently we have to shut fields if we have too much rain. The plan is that these new fields at the sports precinct will be playable much sooner after rain.
"Once the sand is rolled and the 16 kilometres of installed drainage pipes and irrigation lines are complete, the turf can be laid. Weather permitting, the grass fields will be established while the weather's warm and be the new fields will be playable for cricket by the end of next year."
The NSW Government has committed $59.5 million to the Orange Sports Precinct project.
