MORE than $2.8 million funding will be allocated to design and construct Kareela synthetic playing fields.
Sutherland Shire Council held an extraordinary council meeting on August 11 to vote for funds to be provided for the upgrade of fields two and three at Kareela Oval.
Work will involve construction of a multi-purpose synthetic playing surface for two football (soccer) fields, markings for mini-football fields, a synthetic cricket pitch and outfield, capacity for Oztag, lighting, fencing and ancillary services.
Local sporting teams given allocations to use the new synthetic fields would always be given preference over representative teams when appointing games to the synthetic fields, said a council resolution.
But sporting organisations will not be able to designate the new synthetic fields as their home ground.
This will ensure as many local teams as possible are given the chance to use the fields.
The council decided to build synthetic fields because the demand on sporting fields in Sutherland Shire is severely testing the capacity of the council's grassed playing fields.
A council report said synthetic surfaces were considered a viable alternative to natural grass to accommodate the growing use of sporting fields and allowed them to be used in all weather.
They are cheaper to maintain and can handle almost three times more usage than natural turf — 60 hours a week compared with 25 hours a week.
Synthetic surfaces only need to be replaced every 8-10 years and turfed surfaces undergo annual renovations, each costing several hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The report said the design of the new synthetic surfaces would need to meet FIFA criteria.
Kareela was chosen as the best site for the installation of synthetic fields after experts ruled out Solander Fields and Gwawley Oval because they are sited on the lower Georges River flood zone.
Lincoln Oval would have needed about 7000 square metres of engineered fill.
The project has been scheduled for construction during the summer season and ready for use by the 2015 football season.
What do you think of the move to install synthetic sporting fields at Kareela?
