TWO new irrigated playing fields, a 60-space sealed car park and a children's playground with barbecue facilities are among the features included in a design plan for the redevelopment of Alec Lamberton Park.
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And Bathurst Regional Council is expecting fierce competition among local sporting groups for the chance to utilise the facility.
Council last year engaged dsb Landscape Architects to develop a full detailed design to redevelop the field that stands at the corner of Lee and Littlebourne streets in Kelso.
The designers were asked to incorporate the demolition of a number of derelict structures still standing at the facility; two rectangular sporting fields with drainage and automated irrigation; a new amenities building and change rooms; a multi-use function centre; off-street parking with lighting; and passive recreation elements such as seating, play equipment and general landscaping.
The concept was also to include an open space arboretum area with a walking path.
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Initial designs went on public exhibition in October with council receiving 23 submissions in response from a mix of sporting groups and nearby residents.
A report to councillors by engineering services director Darren Sturgiss said feedback had been overwhelmingly positive and a range of local sporting groups were interested in utilising the redeveloped facility.
"It is believed that there is a large demand for multi-use fields with sports lighting to cater for a wide range of sports interests throughout the year," the report states.
"AFL, union, league and football are examples of sporting groups in Bathurst that are consistently looking for a place to be able to undertake pre-season training activities or out of season competitions and development clinics.
"There is also a demand to have additional sporting facilities to cater for the many school-based requests for field use that are being received each year and which are creating field overuse pressures on high profile facilities such as Bathurst Sportsground, Carrington Park, Jack Arrow and Ann Ashwood etc."
Council had considered the option of laying synthetic turf on the two playing fields but Mr Sturgiss' report suggests such a plan would be prohibitively expensive.
He said it would initially cost around $2.5 million to lay synthetic turf on the two fields and the surfaces would need to be replaced every 10 years or so at an additional cost of $600,000.
By comparison, natural grass fields will cost between $600,000 and $800,000 to lay with annual upkeep of about $39,000.
