Let there be light at Harris Park

The Harris Park Sportsfields are one step closer to being lit up, with preliminary work to supply and erect field lighting now underway on the $350,000 project.

Geotechnical testing has been carried out to determine the footing designs for the six 25-30m high steel poles, which will provide LED lighting for an average maximum up to 100 lux.

Armidale Regional Council General Manager Scot MacDonald said this greatly anticipated capital improvement to the main Harris Park Sportsfield will enable night training for sporting clubs such as athletics and soccer.

“The field lighting project includes cost effective variable intensity LED luminaires with focus and glare control to reduce overspill; the same lights are installed at Wimbledon Centre Court in London.”

“Design and manufacture of the poles is expected to be underway by July 2020, and will be followed by approximately two weeks of on the ground works to erect the poles and lights, weather permitting,” Mr MacDonald said.

The lighting can be controlled via a mobile phone app, allowing the hours of operation for sports training to be restricted to no later than 10pm.

The project received $190,000 in funding from Sport Australia under the Community Sport Infrastructure Program. Stage 2 of the project is subject to funding in the future and would involve upgrading the lighting to 200 lux.

Harris Park remains open while the project is underway and the project is expected to be completed by mid August 2020.

“With the NSW Government announcing yesterday that both senior and junior sporting competitions could commence from 1 July 2020, I’m sure there are a few local clubs looking forward to this project coming to fruition,” Mr MacDonald said.

Published on 24 Jun 2020