New build lifts Wasleys recreation precinct

THE completion of the brand new Wasleys Clubrooms has paved the way for sporting or community groups and activities to come back to the area.

The build features a kitchen, storage space and much-sought after toilet facilities and follows years of lobbying by the local community to see the Wasleys recreation area revitalised.

Member of the Wasleys Oval Working Group Lew Richter said it would be great to see the oval used as a sport training area or even for community events such as fetes or fairs.

“At school holiday time, perhaps an Auskick or a cricket clinic could come and use this area now,” he said.

“Little Athletics would be a good one to kick-off because you don’t need a team, you don’t need umpires.

“And it would good to have other activities besides sport, like fairs or fetes and things – maybe a car club could come and show-off their cars because we now have the facilities for that.”

Mr Richter said there was a great level of community involvement to see the clubrooms built but there needs to be an ongoing drive to see any of the long-term dreams realised.

“It would be good if the younger families who are here now will get involved, because any sporting club etc. needs a committee and obviously be parent driven,” he said.

Wasleys Primary School principal Ann-Marie Ellis said having a toilet at the oval will open up the opportunities for the school to utilise the area.

“If the school was coming over here for a fun run or a sports day often a part of the problem before was we didn’t have toilet facilities; you’ve got mums with babies and they would have to go down the main street to the public toilets,” she said.

“So it will be a more usable space for us to have events now, which will be great.”

Late last month the area also had fitness equipment installed adjacent the community-built BMX track.

The oval’s upgrades were funded as part of council’s 2018/19 budget and with open space contributions from the town’s latest housing development.

Grant funding is being sought to be able to continue the fit-out of the clubrooms with change room and shower facilities.

Blokes chip in

MEMBERS of the ‘Blokes of Wasleys’ community group have been using their regular catch-ups to spruce up a set of tired benches.

For many years the seats were used by waiting passengers at the Wasleys train station, up until its removal in the 1970s.

Member Lew Richter said he believes the seats were then moved to the town oval for use by the former local cricket club.

“We‘re just a bunch of blokes that catch up, have a cup of tea and bit of socialising, and then if something comes up that we can do, we do it,” he said.

“It is nice to do something that will go back into the town.”

Fellow member Neville Ramsey said the benches should be back at the oval in about a month, looking good as new.

“We have had to replace all the wood but we have reused all the legs and painted them up,” he said.

“We’ve painted the legs black and the timber will be a natural stain.”

The Blokes of Wasleys meet every second Saturday morning, with no age restrictions on members.