RUGBY league will join rugby union on Hereford Street in a major Bathurst Regional Council sporting development.
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A tract of land on the city side of Ashwood Park – which is home to the Bathurst Bulldogs Rugby Club – is set to be turned into four league fields.
Council has set aside $2.5 million for the project, which is to be completed in stages, including $1.3 million in the 2015-16 budget.
Councillor Bobby Bourke is keen to see the project get underway.
“The fields will be primarily for junior rugby league,” he said.
“We really need them. You only have to look at what Mudgee has done with its rugby league set-up. It’s time we caught up.
“St Pat’s and Panthers have lots of young players coming through and they don’t want to lose them to other codes because there’s nowhere to train.
“St Pat’s have been shuffled from venue to venue in recent times and I know they are right behind what council plans to do out along Hereford Street.”
St Pat’s Junior Rugby League president Katherine Waldron was also full of praise for the council initiative.
“We would love to be able to sign a long-term lease to use the grounds,” she said.
“When the club noticed there was money in council’s budget for this, in just 24 hours we got a petition with 230 signatures on it supporting it. We think that says a lot.
“From our point of view, we need a minimum of two fields to run our games as we have 239 registered players from under 6s to under 16s.”
Ms Waldron said council had been great in helping the club find venues since the club found it unsustainable to remain playing at the Paddy’s Hotel fields.
“Walmer Park wasn’t a viable option, so council marked out two fields and put up goalposts on Morse Park and let us use the sportsground,” she said.
“Now we’re fundraising to build facilities in anticipation of being able to use the new Hereford Street grounds.
“We’ve also been talking with the Bulldogs and AFL regarding what they have done with their grounds. The good thing is the Hereford Street location means we can now also apply for grants.”
Cr Bourke said the city’s premier field at Carrington Park is not suitable for the juniors, the neighbouring sportsground only has one field and makeshift fields at Morse Park are really cricket grounds.
“We really need something permanent and we think this is the answer,” he said.
Cr Bourke said two of the fields would be completed in the initial stage of the development following successful land acquisitions along Hereford Street.
“The St Pat’s committee are now working hard to raise funds and look for grants to get a clubhouse built,” he said.
“At this stage I believe work is likely to start in the new year, but it’s a bigger job than just sowing some grass and mowing it. Drainage issues are vital in that location, as is building up the right soil profile.”
He said council also had plans for a major upgrade to the home of soccer in the city at Proctor Park as well as an elite cricket academy, possibly based out of the sportsground.
