Goodwood Cricket Club says its nets need to be fixed before players are injured
DETERIORATING training pitches and nets at Goodwood Oval pose a danger to cricketers’ safety, a new report has found — with at least one net so bad it’s been closed.
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DETERIORATING training pitches at Goodwood Oval pose an “extreme” risk to cricketers’ safety and urgently need to be replaced, a new report has found.
A Goodwood Cricket Club assessment of training pitches and nets at the Unley Council-owned Fairfax Ave oval found cracks in the concrete left batsmen at risk of being hit by the ball.
Cricketers also risked slipping on the pitches due to pooling water and those in adjacent nets faced being hit by stray balls.
One training net had already been closed due to safety concerns.
The risk assessment was presented to last week’s Unley Council meeting — only weeks after the council ruled out including funding in its 2018/19 budget to upgrade the oval’s training facilities.
According to council protocol, action should be taken immediately and activities should cease when an “extreme” risk is identified.
Goodwood Cricket Club president Warwick Potts said the council had taken good care of the nets in the past, but they had now significantly deteriorated.
“What’s happened is the standards around these things, the guidelines for safety, have evolved a lot,” said Mr Potts, who estimated the nets were at least 25 years old.
“The netting is short and needs to be extended and the slabs have cracks in them now.
“The amount of times you’re running in to bowl and you have to stop to dodge a ball coming out of the next net is frequent.
“It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hit.”
The nets were used “highly used” by Goodwood’s teams, including five junior sides, as well as members of the public.
Mr Potts had written to Unley acting mayor Peter Hughes and chief executive Peter Tsokas asking that the nets be replaced instead of repaired.
In the letter, he wrote the upgrades were “time critical” as cricket season was due to begin in four months.
He said the club would be happy to contribute to the cost.
Unley had discussed including money for the replacement of the cricket nets and training pitches in its 2018/19 budget, but the funding was ultimately ruled out.
However, the council had since made contact with the cricket club to say it would consider the works as part of future budget reviews, if savings could be found.
The upgrade was estimated to cost $23,600.
Mr Hughes said the council would undertake repairs to address safety issues before the start of the cricket season.
He said the council would “explore long-term upgrade options for the nets”.