New surface for Silvan ground

WORK is now under way to improve the ground surface at Silvan Football Club for the 2007 season kick-off on Saturday, 21 April.
Silvan Football Club will take on Healesville in the opening rubber of the season and will be the first to test out the improved grounds.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges is busy getting the ground ready for the first centre bounce of the season.
The ground is being renovated to improve the ground surface for all local clubs who will be using it this season.
The council is spending $310,000 on resurfacing the ground, installing drainage and an irrigation system.
The irrigation system includes a water tank, which will store water from an on-site bore.
Chandler Ward councillor Graham Warren said because of the drought conditions the installation of the irrigation system could only go ahead if there was a way of using an independent water source such as bore water to irrigate the grounds.
“The bore water will help us avoid using valuable drinking water for irrigation,” he said. “We’re also using summer grasses such as coach to improve the durability of the grounds and ensure they are more drought tolerant in the future, and will require less water overall.”
Cr Warren said the council will also use ground sensors to monitor the grounds to see when it needs watering to ensure it is only watered when necessary.
Work on the ground is expected to be completed by the middle of next month, which is well, before the first centre bounce.