By Michael Burt
Bellingen Shire Council staff have chipped in with the hand pulling of poisoned sedge weeds to encourage a couch grass turf takeover on the Connell Park playing fields.
Staff teamed up with contractor employees last week to remove the dead weeds in a bid to transform an unsightly paddock into fresh new playing field by December.
The weed and weather delays to the Connell Park project were a headline item at the September council meeting, where councillors Andrew O’Keeffe and Graeme Shepard voiced concerns about it being completed on time.
“I have no confidence that come December or January that it will be a useable surface for playing sport,” Cr O’Keeffe.
Deputy General Manager Ashley Greenwood said establishment of the turf is solely the contractor’s responsibility.
“In relation to the timeframe, I will have to have a look at what the contract conditions are in relation to any potential extensions of time,” Mr Greenwood said
“We will remain in front of the contractor to make sure they are aware of our expectations and making sure that they are doing everything that’s required under the contract to make sure the turf is established as soon as possible.”
The hand pulling of sedge follows advice from the contractor’s agronomist.
“We have had to do some recent additional spraying activity trying to address targeted weed species such as the sedge,” Mr Greenwood explained.
“Whilst that has proven effective in targeting the sedge, it also has required us to look at the time it is going to take for that vegetation to break down to allow for the turf to be reestablished.”
“We are now deliberately pulling that sedge. That is something that the specialist agronomist that has been engaged by the contractor has recommended to us.”
“We are supporting the facilitation of that with the view of getting the turf established as aa priority. We are still proposing for that to be completed by December.”
“Outside of the fields related works, there is works happening at the amenities facilities and all is going to plan.”
Cr Dominic King raised concerned about the hand weeding adding an extra cost burden for council on the Connell Park project and the potential requirement for further spraying operations.
However, General Manager Mark Griffioen assured councillors there were no financial consequences.
“Under the contract, council were obliged to provide a certain number of person hours. Over the last two months we have not been undertaking that work because it has not been required.”
“It’s all contained within the hours that we were supposed to have either been mowing or irrigating the turf.”
Mr Greenwood said the herbicide treatments have been effective in killing the sedge, however the potential requirement for further spraying is identified in the project’s September report card.