Wollongbar sports fields get $324,000 automated irrigation funding

Wollongbar Sports Fields will receive a $324,000 allocation for an automated irrigation system, with Ballina Shire Council tying the funding to remediation of the fields and improved playing conditions. The money will come from the Wollongbar Sports Fields Reserve.

The system is intended to bring the fields up to modern standards and complement existing irrigation on adjacent fields. The allocation was approved unanimously on 23 July as part of Council’s review of its 2025/26 to 2028/29 Delivery Program and 2025/26 Operational Plan.

The funding is specific to the sports-field remediation works, rather than a general allocation to sporting groups. For clubs and community organisations using the fields, Council’s stated aim is to improve field condition and reliability for sporting use.

The resolution does not identify the system’s design, the area it will cover, expected water savings or a timetable for construction and installation. It also does not name a supplier or delivery contractor.

That leaves the project’s procurement details unresolved. The available information does not say when procurement will begin, which businesses will be invited to quote or how the installation will be scheduled.

The irrigation allocation was separate from Council’s amended Community Sporting Groups Capital Works Assistance Policy, which was also adopted on 23 July and will be placed on public exhibition for public comment. The policy concerns assistance arrangements for community sporting groups, while the $324,000 allocation is funded through the Wollongbar Sports Fields Reserve.

The approved funding is intended to support remediation, improve the playing surfaces and add to irrigation already operating on the adjacent fields. The next supplier and delivery details were not specified in the resolution.