Warrnambool City Council, Victoria, reached a major milestone as the new light towers were safely installed at the Reid Oval Redevelopment.
Four 30m towers were craned in and assembled on site before being erected on May 12 and 13.
Councillor, Debbie Arnott said that lighting at Warrnambool’s premier sporting facility would be rated at 300 lux, which meant the venue would be capable of hosting night-time football and cricket matches.
“The project was required to deliver 200 lux lighting minimum to allow for night football matches, but in reality, this setup will be able to achieve 300 lux, which means we now have the potential to play cricket games at night too.
“As well as allowing for competitive games at night, the upgrade will greatly improve the safety and comfort of players, officials and spectators.
“The LED lights provide much more even coverage of light across the ground and glare is minimised due to the height of the poles.
“Along with the playing surface and the pavilion, the lighting upgrade is one of the major components of the Reid Oval Redevelopment, helping to re-establish the facility as the region’s premier sporting ground.”
The lights could also be dimmed during training sessions when 300 lux was not needed, which would save on energy costs.
The Reid Oval Redevelopment is a $10.7 million project funded by the Victorian Government (via Sport and Recreation Victoria and Regional Development Victoria), the Warrnambool City Council (via the Victorian Government’s Community Sports Infrastructure Loans Scheme), the AFL (via the Australian Football Facilities Fund) and Cricket Victoria (via the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund).