GROUND DEVELOPMENT Bowral Dressage Club                Archived

January 2010

Ground Development Report

At the end of 2009 drainage was put around the arenas to drain the water out that was holding in the arenas. The cost of this was $18,000. The next project for 2010 is to put on a watering system to the warm up arena. We are now looking for donations from members to help towards us achieving this. A quote is now being obtained for this work and BDC will be applying again for a grant from the NSW Communities Sport & Recreation Facilities Grant Program 2010. The grant offers funds of 50% to the project and we have to add the rest. If sending in a donation please note that it is for the BDC Ground Development Account.

Mark Dowling & Yvonne Springett

January 2009

Ground Development Report

We now have three sand arenas completed and a large 60x40 metre warm up area immediately adjacent. Extensive landscaping, as shown left, has been undertaken by Mark Dowling, including decorative and shade trees, acapathus to define edges and logs for seating. Power is now available to this part of our site and an irrigation system has been installed.

The grass area closest to the sand arenas (pictured right) , known to the Race Club as Field Two, will now come under the jurisdiction of BDC. As such, we will be initiating upgrading of this area to competition standard as our next project. This will involve some flattening and sod seeding, and possibly the injection of a sand component under the grass. There are also plans (dreams) in place to have a Clubhouse overlooking both areas.

March 2008

The watering system has now been installed with water tank and a generator in place.  The area around the arenas will now be top dressed and some seeding applied and another rock pick up done due to the invasion of pipes being laid more rocks appeared.  Quotes to level off an area next to the 3 arenas will be obtained and this will be for a large sand warm up area.  The 3 sand arenas will have some sand removed and they will be laser leveled and groomed for our April 13th Competition. 

Mark Dowling and Yvonne Springett

November 2007

EI might have stopped everything else, but work on the grounds has been ongoing. Mark has been seeding, fertilising and mowing around the arenas to improve the grass area. The BDC Committee has approved Aquamann Irrigation to install the watering system and a water holding tank, which will have its own generator. The funds from the Wingecarribee Shire Council grant of $10,000 will be used, plus funds from our ground development account.

The bore at Bong Bong we were going to work off is not capable of supplying our tank until further work is done to improve the function for further use. Therefore we will be bringing water in to fill the tank when it is required.

We have just received advice from the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation that our expression of interest to put in our final submission for Stage 2 of the Regional Sports Facility Grant was not successful. There were 234 applications received, requesting more than $32 million.

Only $1.5 million is being released across the state for grants.

So we push on and now we will be approaching the people running the Federal Regional Sports Grant Program. We have already had a meeting with them to see what this process requires. We will not give up until we achieve our goals and dreams.

In the New Year, if any members would like to put together a fund raising event or have any other ideas of how to raise funds, please contact your Committee. We are able to use the Wyeera Pavilion or the Shed to hold an event.

Mark Dowling and Yvonne Springett