Work set to commence on new oval surface at Tom Flood

The City of Greater Bendigo is preparing to commence a $1.1M major upgrade of the Tom Flood Sports Centre oval to enable it to meet the service standards required for environmental sustainability, player safety and functionality.

Work will commence at the end of July for completion in mid-November 2022. Both the oval and cycling track will not be accessible to user groups or the community during the construction period. However, access to the Tom Flood Sports Centre bus exchange will not be impacted by the work.

City of Greater Bendigo Active and Healthy Communities Manager Amy Johnston said the existing surface of the Tom Flood Sports Centre oval is undulating and has many different types of grass.

“The oval currently does not meet service standards or support current and future demands for sport and community use at the site,” Ms Johnston said.

“The project will involve demolition of the old oval surface, installation of a new sand slit drainage system, new soil and replanting of the oval with drought tolerant, durable, all year round TifTuf grass.

“When completed this project will provide a surface that meets the standards required by various sporting codes.

“It will also take the pressure off the Queen Elizabeth Oval as Tom Flood will have the ability to cater for more events requiring a surface that meets international standards.

“The centre caters to cycling, athletics, junior AFL, soccer, rugby and grid iron. It also hosts school athletics carnivals as well as many community events including festivals and live music events.

“The City is working closely with the centre’s user groups to support alternative venues and locations while the work is underway.”