VICTORIAN Minister for Sport, James Merlino says a new synthetic ground has been earmarked for one of Melbourne’s top growth regions.
According to the Minister, the new state-of-the-art synthetic turf ground will be established in Point Cook and is as close as possible to natural turf.
The Minister says under the Synthetic Surfaces Program, the Victorian Government provided $300k for the development of the world-first drought-proof synthetic turf surface suitable for sports. The release of the new surface follows years of planning and testing in the face of ongoing drought.
The AFL, Cricket Australia and insurers JLT Trustees are said to have agreed on the standards of the new turf, which will become a basis for insurers to be satisfied that the playing surface is fit for purpose and doesn’t expose participants to high risk compared to existing natural surfaces.
Merlino says the surface was developed under strict safety guidelines during a University of Ballarat research project, it is drought-proof and will be able to withstand up to 50hrs of weekly use.
Add a comment