TAREE Touch fears the Northern Eagles Junior Championship will be lost to the area next January because of the continued deterioration of fields at Taree Recreation Centre.
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The association has hosted the titles for the past two years. More than 70 teams from Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Macksville, Port Macquarie, Forster-Tuncurry and the Newcastle/Hunter area were expected to take part in the two day event set to be held on January 18 and 19.
Taree Touch president Graham Goodwin said 12 fields are needed to conduct the event. Under normal circumstances Taree Touch can comfortably accommodate the championships at the Taree Recreation Centre.
However, the touch football/rugby league grounds at the centre are in poor condition and have been closed by council. Taree Touch is using fields near the Manning Hockey Centre for its junior and senior competitions.
Mr Goodwin said there are currently five fields there that would be of the required standard to host the Eagles championships, but he said they are also in decline.
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Mr Goodwin is critical of what he claims is MidCoast Council's inadequate response to maintaining the fields during the drought.
"I know it hasn't rained and that isn't anyone's fault,'' he said. "But there hasn't been any work carried out on the fields for six months. We haven't been on water restrictions six months.''
He also accused council of a lack of foresight regarding the upkeep of fields at the recreation ground and planning for the future.
Mr Goodwin said he hits a brickwall when he makes inquiries to council on the matter.
"It's frustrating and I know a lot of other people involved with sport around here feel the same way,'' he said.
Mr Goodwin further claims council has sent sporting bodies an e-mail explaining that there will be a blanket closure of grounds in the area if there's no decent rain before January.
"They are asking us to monitor our fields and do a risk assessment,'' he said.
"But if the fields are closed there's going to be a lot of people not playing sport. That's not a good thing.''
Mr Goodwin said a decision on the fate of the junior championships will be made in time to ensure Northern Eagles can find an alternate venue.
In reply council's manager of community spaces, recreation and trades Dan Aldridge said MidCoast Council and local sporting groups have purchased several travelling irrigators to improve the capability of watering fields during dry periods.
He said he and council staff have been working closely with local sporting groups on plans for irrigation of sporting fields during these particularly dry times.
"The conditions that we are currently experiencing are unprecedented it is the driest time in 130 years of record keeping,'' Mr Aldridge said.
"We are currently looking for alternative sources of water that is suitable for sports field irrigation.''
Mr Aldridge said all sporting groups have been advised of potential closure of fields as an advisory to allow groups to start to think about making alternative arrangements if required.