The new and improved synthetic bowling green at the Cootamundra Ex-Services Club is progressing along nicely, with the ground having been broken and construction works are well underway.
Megan Sawyer, Manager at the Ex-Services Club provided an update on the progress of the development.“It’s going along excellently. They’ve dug out three sides. We’ve actually ripped out more concrete than what we had anticipated. We were going to try and keep the new concrete that was in front of the new bistro, but on closer inspection, it was cracked,” Megan explained.
“What we’re actually doing is getting concrete stencilling over the top. What happens if you put it over already cracked concrete, you can actually crack the stencil. So, we thought we’d just do it properly, so we’ve ripped out the whole lot. It’s all going well.” The concrete work is being undertook by Cootamundra local business Paul Crick Concreting, with the Ex-Services Club ensuring that as much work as possible is being provided to locals. “According to our timetable, the concretors have got another two weeks of work. Local Ben Roberts will start excavating on the 14th of June and will take another two weeks, and then TigerTurf from Melbourne, who will be laying the synthetic green from the 25th of June.
John Lienesch has also been our builder throughout the project,” Megan continued. “Once the carpet is laid, we are getting new LED lights installed which are already organised, so they’ll be really bright come the winter and the nights. It’ll be fantastic. “That’s all going well with clear weather permitting, that is. I’m hoping mid-August everything will be up and running.”
The site access at the construction site has been changed due to the wet weather in recent weeks, with a tractor sinking considerably in the mud, with the site access now changed to Wallendoon Street over the concrete path. The top layer of the bowling green was originally planned to be donated to the Cootamundra Country Club to use at the golf course, but they opted not to take the grass donation.
Another big event the Ex-Services Club has coming up in the school holidays is their Winter Warfare event set to be held on Friday 15th July, which will feature Chris Masters and Australia’s best wrestling competitors’ step inside the ring in the upstairs auditorium. “We actually held the same event some years ago. Honestly, it’s a proper full on wrestling ring with all the springs under it, and they throw each other around, and there’s chairs and all sorts of business. It’s a great spectacle to see. “We’ve got family tickets available, which is for two adults and two kids, as well as some ringside seats available as well. A lot of people were using their NSW Government Dine and Discover vouchers to pay for that, which the promo has now unfortunately finished. There will be roughly 150 tickets up for sale, but they are expected to fly out the door, so get in quick to avoid missing out. Ticket prices start from $30 for ringside, $25 for adults, $20 for children, as well as a family ticket for $70.
Tim Warren