Member for Bathurst, Paul Toole, was welcomed with warm applause for the work that the president of the Millthorpe Village Committee John Mason said, had transformed the oval.

“The cricket nets, the skate park, the tennis courts and the canteen are all the result of Paul’s work and the jackpot is of course the grant that Mr Truloff was given for the oval’s renewal,” he said.

All the groups that use the oval and facilities, the Millthorpe Garden Ramble, the Millthorpe Public School, Millthorpe P&C, Millthorpe Mozzies Rugby Club, Millthorpe Museum, Millthorpe Tigers, Millthorpe Cricket Club, Millthorpe Village Committee, Millthorpe Markets and Redmond Oval Trust presented Mr Toole with trees in appreciation of his efforts in helping raise funds.

Mr Toole said that it was projects like Redmond Oval that made his job worthwhile.

“When I came out here years ago it had a huge slope running down, but now look at it, it’s got a white picket fence, a new canteen and when you add the cricket nets and the tennis courts and the rotunda, you’re looking at well and truly over a million dollars that has been invested in this site over the last few years,” he said.

Mr Toole also congratulated the staff of Blayney Council for the work that they had done to bring the work to completion considering the difficult conditions that they had to endure, and the extra funding that they allocated on top of the $500,000 grant that Mr Truloff had secured.

“I’d like to thank all of the councillors for them seeing the value and the input that it’s going to have here in the community of Millthorpe,” he said.

Instigator of the grounds renewal, Michael Truloff, said that when he completed what he described as a very creative application two years ago, seeing the finished product was a proud moment.

“I really have to thank the community and especially my wonderful supportive wife and family for all their help,” he said.