News
Wagener Oval Upkeep: An Innovative Partnership
Saturday, December 03, 2011 - 6:52 AM
Wagener Oval in Ashbury is a key AFL ground in the inner-west of Sydney. The site was formerly a brick pit, then a tip until 1966, and in 1975 Canterbury Council leased the land to the Western Suburbs Australian Football Club. The ground was re-named Wagener Oval in 1982 after Bill Wagener, who played for the club in the 1940s and 50s.
The Western Suburbs AFL Seniors played home games at Wagener Oval to a few years ago – it is now used as a training base for the Western Suburbs AFL Juniors, as well as for their games and for local school AFL games.
The playing surface is maintained by Canterbury Council with the Western Suburbs AFL club looking after the surrounding land and change rooms. Until recently a group of club volunteers have done a great job with the maintenance, but with dwindling numbers an innovative solution to the upkeep of the large site was required.
Wests Juniors head coach Warwick Polley approached the NSW Probation Service – Burwood District Office, who administer the local Community Service Order Scheme. Following a series of approvals this has resulted in community service workers assisting with the maintenance of Wagener Oval.
Overseen by Community Service Organisers, Western Suburbs AFL volunteers supervise community service workers every Saturday from 7 am to 2 pm.
The program started in late 2010, and to date has included up to nine community service workers, and five Western Suburbs volunteers resulting in both ongoing mowing and general clean-up of the ground’s surrounds, as well as painting the entire exterior of the change rooms in the Western Suburbs magpies black and white.
This is a win-win result with those on community service orders given meaningful work in the community, and a key community facility maintained to a high standard.
References:
http://www.canterbury.nsw.gov.au/www/html/1057-wagener-oval.asp
http://www.correctiveservices.nsw.gov.au/home/
http://www.sydneymagpies.com.au/
http://www.westsjuniorsafl.com.au/
