Local sporting clubs have been forced to play further afield due to the dire state of Port Macquarie’s Oxley Oval post the 2011 Urban Hotel Group Australian Ironman Triathlon held on May 1.
A 2000 seat functions marquee, generator and associated infrastructure was set up to host the event’s major dinner functions pre- and post-race on the Oval.
With the ground being pounded, coupled with wet weather, the Oval is now unfit for team sport.
Council confirmed the recent Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia Triathlon utilised a number of community spaces and facilities throughout Port Macquarie, including Oxley Oval.
The Town Green was another grass area that copped a beating.
Unfortunately, in the week leading up to the race, Port Macquarie received in excess of 150 millimetres of rain, which impacted on the construction and usage of the marquee and has significantly damaged the Oxley Oval playing surface, Council stated.
Port City Leagues Cricket Club Secretary Nik James said, “It’s been over a week since the Ironman event has packed up and Port’s premier sporting venue for rugby, cricket and athletics is still looking absolutely disgraceful.”
He described the aftermath. “It’s like having someone stay at your place for the weekend while you’re away and then when you return you discover they’ve trashed the joint and disappeared without taking any responsibility for what took place.
“I fully understand and appreciate the financial benefits of staging Ironman and it’s a privilege to be selected as one of the few towns nation-wide to host this event but in return, I’d expect that our town deserves a little respect when it comes to utilising our facilities,” he said
“There are piles of muddy matting and rubbish, a couple of ugly shipping containers on the field and large, deep tyre marks all over the ground.
“The car park looks like a garbage dump; but of even greater concern is the state of the ground.
“There are ditches 25 metres or more in length across the northern end of the ground where it’s more than 30 centimetres deep in some parts and then you have giant mounds of mud of similar height nearby.
“This will take weeks of landscaping and resurfacing work to repair the damage and then even longer before the local rugby club the Vikings can even consider playing on it and that’s only if the wet weather stays away.
“My other concern is, who will pay to repair the damage and when will the work begin to restore what was once the most scenic sports ground on the Mid-North Coast?” Mr James questioned what tourists would think of the current state of the ground and how that reflects on us as a community.
Mr James said, “Council needs to tell Hastings’ ratepayers if they are footing the bill or if the Ironman organisation has paid some kind of bond before being allowed to use the venue to cater for situations like this or are we sending them the bill once the clean up and repair work is completed.
“I appreciate the heavy rain leading up to the event was a major factor. However, surely someone must have thought perhaps using heavy machinery on the venue could severely impact the surface,” he said.
“This is a heritage ground and Council should never have allowed them to set up a marquee.
“Someone needs to take responsibility for this situation and rectify it quickly.
“The Town Green has also suffered from the event but not to the extent of Oxley Oval.”
Hastings Valley Vikings Rugby Union Club President Alan Tonkin said the Club had been advised it was very likely teams would not be able to utilise the Oval for the rest of the season due to its poor state.
He said teams had been directed by Council to use the main field in Wood St instead.
Although disappointed at the move, Mr Tonkin said it was a “catch 22”.
“Ironman brings so much to this town, it’s just a shame this comes part and parcel of that,” he said.
“We end up with the leftovers and that’s how it goes.
“We just abide by what Council tells us.”
According to Council Manager of Recreation and Buildings Liam Bulley, Council staff are unable to make a full assessment of the oval surface until it dries out further this week.
“Rather than risk any further damage, we are allowing the predicted fine weather this week to completely dry out the oval before we get any equipment on there and make a full assessment of the damage,” Mr Bulley said.
“Our staff are experienced at this type of sports field remediation work and they will be using specialist equipment to level out the affected areas before topdressing and planting grass seed.
“At this stage it is unknown how long the Oval will be unavailable for use but we’ve worked closely with local sporting organisations to prepare alternative venues and will continue to do so,” said Mr Bulley.
Story: KATE YATES
