City of Swan in Western Australia has built the largest synthetic playing surface in the southern hemisphere.
As many council areas in Western Australia face the triple threat of water restrictions, increasing population and demand for recreational facilities, the City of Swan’s new Ellenbrook Sports Hub is a paradigm shift.
The four synthetic soccer fields opened in September and are adaptable to five-a-side futsal, small-sided AFL, touch rugby, and ultimate Frisbee.
The project was initiated several years ago when City planners were tasked with providing playing fields for the Ellenbrook district – where the population is set to almost double in the next 20 years.
Faced with the challenges of limited land, the exploding population and uncertain water supplies, the City needed an innovative solution to secure recreational space.
Research determined traditional grass turf would simply not cope with the future wear and tear caused by the burgeoning community, whereas synthetic turf could handle three times the use.
Due to the limitations of the Ellenbrook District Outdoor Space northern site, four rectangular synthetic fields were deemed the answer to the area’s requirements.
Meanwhile, the two cricket and football fields on the southern site remain traditional grass and have been in use since 2014.
Not only can the rectangular synthetic surfaces handle a high turnover of teams, the maintenance and overall cost is lower than natural turf.
It is also resistant to sting nematode – a destructive parasite, which attacks turf and costs local governments millions to control.
The playability is also almost identical to natural turf thanks to advancements in the manufacture of synthetic turf in recent years.
Ellenbrook’s synthetic playing fields have a FIFA 1-star rating – the same surface used at Liverpool Football Club, Bayern Munich and the Australian Institute of Sport training grounds.
Synthetic playing fields will not replace natural turf in City of Swan but can supplement it in various contexts.
The City of Swan is also investigating synthetic hockey fields in nearby Dayton, which, like Ellenbrook, will experience massive residential growth in coming decades.
City of Swan Mayor Mick Wainwright said the City was proud of the $16.6 million project to construct FIFA-quality playing fields at the district-level facility.
“I believe the playing fields and pavilion will play a big part in the lives of many generations to come,” he said.
