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Water for Life
e-news: Dec 2007

News Article:

Early wins in drought proofing Penrith sporting fields

Achieving Sustainable Sporting Fields, a project involving Penrith, Camden and Auburn Councils, along with the University of Western Sydney (UWS), is looking at the effectiveness of using recycled organics (ROs) from domestic waste to reduce the need for water in providing quality sporting fields.

In 2006/2007 Penrith Council, in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW, trialled the use of ROs on several sporting fields in the Penrith area. These trials showed that the use of ROs was successful in improving playing quality through reducing compaction on sporting fields.

Caption: Application of recycled organics to improve
the sustainability of sporting fields

The current project will also monitor the condition of selected playing fields over a three year period by using measured amounts of RO and irrigation to determine the exact amounts of water sporting fields need when RO is introduced as a topdressing. This project will also be using alternative water sources, such as recycled effluent and stormwater harvesting, to irrigate sporting fields. At the end of the three year trial, UWS will produce a sustainability manual to assist park managers to drought proof sporting fields in the dry areas of Western Sydney. The manual will also be available for use across NSW.

For further details about the Achieving Sustainable Sporting Fields project:
contact Raphael Collins by email rcollins@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au or phone (02) 4732 5581.

The Achieving Sustainable Sporting Field project is funded by the NSW Government's Environmental Trust Urban Sustainability Program which, in 2007, funded nine major water management projects. The projects are:

Maitland City Council – Sustaining Urban Water
Marrickville Council – Collaborative Planning for Sustainable Irrigation in Marrickville
North Sydney Council – Stormwater Re-use in North Sydney
Parramatta City Council in partnership with Auburn, Ashfield, Canada Bay, Hunters Hill, Ryde and Strathfield Councils – Working Together to Sustain the Parramatta River
Penrith City Council in partnership with Auburn Council and Camden Councils – Achieving Sustainable Sporting Fields
Wollongong City Council in partnership with Kiama Council and Shelharbour City Council – Sustainable Illawarra
Kogarah Council – Carlton Industrial Sustainable Water Project
Wollongong City Council – Water Sensitive Urban Design and Sustainability at JJ Kelly Park
Wyong Council – Tuggerah Lakes Integrated Urban Stormwater Management.

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