The $500,000 project began last Monday, with the surface of the field being levelled and plans to improve irrigation and drainage underway.

The Redmond Oval committee has worked tirelessly to receive funding for upgrades to the ground and President Michale Truloff is thrilled with the funding from ClubsNSW. 

“After years of sportspeople having to contend with the large slope on the oval, causing many kicked soccer balls to roll off course and out of the field, Millthorpe is now getting a state of the art field where people from across the region will want to play,” he said.

“It is fantastic and will make a huge difference to Millthorpe and the people of the town.”

Blayney Shire mayor Scott Ferguson is excited by the prospect of Redmond Oval being able to host more sporting and community activities upon completion of the upgrades. 

“The opportunity to actually turn it into a beautiful new oval with a very flat playing surface that will take a lot of rain and will be multipurpose is just a terrific project here for Blayney Shire,” he said.

“This is literally a ground-breaking project that will deliver tremendous benefits to the local school, sporting groups and wider regional community who regularly participate in activities at Redmond Oval.” 

Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said the upgrades to the oval reflected the expansion the community had seen over recent years. 

“We’ve seen the soccer teams here grow in numbers, the cricket teams have grown in numbers, the school has grown in numbers so it is very important we keep up to pace with that demand and that growth and we are seeing important upgrades here to the fields.”

It is expected the ground will be fully operational by November 2016. 

ellen.dunger@fairfaxmedia.com.au