The future of sport at the Braidwood Recreation Ground hangs in the balance as drought and Level 4 water restrictions leave the field dry and unplayable. To prepare for this weekend's Rugby 7s bushfire fundraiser, members of the community have banded together to green up the field.
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Event organiser Nick Pengelly said a farmer at Monga had donated more than 100,000 litres of bore water to the rugby club to help improve the field. He said the farmer was an asset to the community who had also given the RFS bore access while his own property was under bushfire threat. People across the region had also rallied behind the event with water trucks for transportation, tanks and sprinklers all donated to help improve the field. Pengelly said the state of the ground was "not that good, but it will be okay" thanks to the donations.
The dedicated sportsman said he was concerned about the immediate to long-term future of the recreation ground. He said Braidwood was a community that relied on sport with football, soccer, touch and school activities held on the field. "If we don't get rain or can't water there will be no sport," he said. "We have to make sure people [who have been impacted by bushfires] are okay and sport is a part of that."
Pengelly said he hoped the community could discuss the future of the recreation ground with the Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council (QPRC). A representative from QPRC said the council had been working with the community members responsible for water donations to support the oval ahead of the game. "Usual maintenance will resume when water restrictions are lifted," the QPRC spokesperson said.
On Saturday, February 8, more than 1500 people and 44 rugby teams will gather in support of the town.
