The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale recommended $75,000 be set aside for the reticulation of the fields at the Serpentine Foothills Polocrosse Club.
This decision was made at the council meeting on February 27.
Club president Salli Galvin attended the meeting and said the club would be happy to contribute to the cost of an irrigating system and work together with the shire.
The club requested the installation of an automated reticulation system and had determined a reticulation design suitable for its needs.
Ms Galvin said the club had been running successfully for 32 years and it would be a shame for it to come to an end if the field was not reticulated properly.
“The easterly wind in summer will blow the topsoil off the fields and in winter there will be weeds,” she said.
Even though there was some reticulation for the polocrosse field Ms Galvin said there was a need to sustain the field and she had researched irrigation systems including pop up sprinklers, hard hose irrigating sprinklers and a soft hose irrigation system, which the club would support.
“The polocrosse grounds are a wonderful asset to our shire,” she said.
“The Polocrosse Club and the Pony Club are the two main licenses of the sports reserve and are extremely successful clubs in their particular fields.
“Both clubs stand strongly together to coexist and include other clubs to use our facilities.
“We look forward to working with the shire to improve the shire’s assets to make the sports reserve the equestrian capital of the shire and the whole south metropolitan area.”
Ms Galvin said polocrosse was a fast growing sport with new members joining every year.
“There is a big equine industry in our shire,” she said.
“It stands side by side with our rural image.”
Shire president John Erren said by working with the Polocrosse Club a superior facility could be developed at a lower on-going cost to the shire.
“The council appreciates the consultation and willingness of the Polocrosse Club to work with the shire,” he said.
