Weston Creek Molonglo officials have criticised the handling of delays to upgrades of Phillip District Enclosed Oval after the club's women's team was forced off the ground.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The side was informed in August to seek a new home for the season, with work due to commence in September.
As a result, the Weston Creek Molonglo women have been forced into a nomadic season with three different "home" grounds, starting with Brad Haddin Oval in Queanbeyan for Saturday's clash with Western District.
Funding for the project was approved in February and work was set to commence earlier this year, however a tender still has not been approved and affected clubs are yet to receive a firm start date.
MORE SPORT:
It's understood increasing construction costs have delayed the tender approval and uncertainty looms over when this process will be complete.
An ACT government spokesperson said work is expected to commence before the end of the year. The project involves upgrades to the existing grandstand, the construction of a new pavilion, new LED lights and improvements to the surface and drainage.
The spokesperson said the oval remains open, however Weston Creek Molonglo officials have been told on multiple occasions they are unable to play at the ground.
"The ground is still available for use until such time that construction works commence," the spokesperson said.
The field is currently listed as unavailable on the government's online booking system. It's understood Cricket ACT was informed the oval was unavailable for the summer.
Weston Creek Molonglo officials have been frustrated by the handling of the situation. The club is attempting to increase female player numbers and the lack of a home field has made this task more difficult.
The women's side isn't the only one to call Phillip Enclosed home, with men's fifth grade, colts, vets, girls and boys teams also playing at the field.
Weston Creek Molonglo president Luke Hickey said it has been a frustrating process and called for a staged development to accelerate a return to the ground.
"We were told it was not going to be available for play this year," Hickey said. "I went back last week and asked if we could book and use Phillip and we couldn't. That would have alleviated some of the pressure for grounds around Canberra.
"It's pretty disappointing. If we had have known there would be a three-month delay, we could've had games there. Instead, the women at are Brad Haddin Oval, they're on whatever grounds we can beg, borrow and steal from Norths and Queanbeyan, they've provided great support."
While the delay allowed co-tenants Canberra Royals and the Woden Valley Rams to complete their seasons, they are bracing for the ground to be unavailable for the entirety of the 2024 winter. Griffith Oval and Boomanulla Oval are options as replacements.
The are fears the works will stretch into the 2024-25 summer, with Weston Creek Molonglo concerned their teams will not be able to return home at the start of next year.
"Other grounds are planned to go offline next season," Hickey said. "If this project is delayed further, what does that mean for those works? People are already missing out because we don't have enough turf facilities."
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
Cameron Mee
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
