Booking and Information

When I hire a pavilion, what facilities will I get?

Pavilions are hired out as empty shells although some do have a rub down table provided in the change rooms. Canteens have hot water, power, preparation bench space and shelving. There are some canteens which are the home ground of larger sporting clubs, where for practicalities sake they are permitted to have a fridge, freezer, pie-warmer and microwave left within the canteen. The fridge and freezer are usually locked and therefore not available to other hirers. The microwave and pie-warmer are left on site with the knowledge that they may be used by other hirers. Pavilions are cleaned once or twice a week depending on the regularity of use and are stocked with toilet rolls when cleaned. Storage space at ACT Government sportsgrounds is often limited and where provided is often allocated to home based clubs and may not be available for all hirers.

What do I do if I find a Syringe/Sharp at an ACT Government sportsground?

All Syringes/Sharps should be reported to Access Connect on 13 22 81 and an authorities officer will be sent out to collect the Syringe/Sharp and dispose of it. If you are able to wait until the authorities’ officer arrives to dispose of the Syringe/Sharp, then please do so. However, please ensure that no one goes near or touches the Syringe/Sharp and under no circumstances should you touch the Syringe/Sharp yourself.

How do I cancel/ amend my booking?

To make any amendments and/or cancellations to an existing booking, please email sportsgrounds@act.gov.au with your application number, field number, date and time of the booking you would like to amend/cancel.

Cancellations and amendments must be received as an e-mail at least four working days prior to the booking or payment may not be re-credited.

What is Football?

Football was previously referred to as soccer but the governing body now prefers this term be used.

Are marquees allowed?

Marquees and other temporary structures can only be erected after a site meeting with the relevant field supervisor to insure that they are located away from irrigation components. Contact numbers for the supervisors can be obtained from the booking office on (02) 6207 5141.

Are dogs allowed at Sportsgrounds?

Dogs are not permitted at any time at Enclosed Ovals or synthetic grounds and not when formal sport is being conducted at an unenclosed ground, this includes training and match play.

Is the use of metal tent pegs allowed?

The use of metal tent pegs is discouraged unless they are permanently attached to the item that they will be securing. Stray metal tent pegs can cause major damage to our mowing fleet and the cost of repair will be passed onto the hirer. Hard plastic pegs are the preferred option

What are ranger services?

Sportsground Ranger services are provided for casual hires to open toilets and pavilions. They can also be contacted to sort out hiring conflicts on the day of hire, vandalism, irrigation issues or general questions outside of business hours If you experience issues during your formal booking for example irrigation or impaired access, please call the 'On Call after hours officer' on 0409 791 523 for assistance..

Is golf allowed on ACT Government sportsgrounds?

Golf practice is currently permitted on ACT Government Sportsgrounds but the following conditions apply::

• Golf practice is not permitted when a Sportsground is in use by groups or individuals.
• Golf balls are not to be hit in the direction of property, e.g., buildings, parked cars, tractors engaged in mowing, pavilions or floodlight towers.
• It is an offence to deliberately endanger life or property and legal action will be taken against anyone caught doing so.
• Tee-off is only permitted outside the marked playing surface and should be restricted to perimeter areas.
• All divots must be replaced as per golf course etiquette.

All Enquiries should be directed to the Manager - Sportsground Improvements and Maintenance Section on (02) 6207 5143.

When are sportsgrounds closed and how will I know?

Sportsgrounds are sometimes closed due to wet weather. Information on ground closures is emailed or SMS to the outdoor sporting associations and to the local media. Information is also placed on the Wet Weather Hotline which is updated every weekday at 9am. Call (02) 6207 5957. For weekend closures please contact your association or club.

What is the maintenance shut down period for?

So that we can carry out our seasonal maintenance without interruption all ACT Government Sportsgrounds are closed between 17-30 September and 18-31 March each year. Sportsgrounds are unable to be used during these dates.

What months do the summer and winter seasons cover?

The summer season runs from 1 October to 18 March and the winter season is 1 April to 16 September.

How can I organise a bootcamp?

Bootcamps are growing in popularity across Canberra. Organisers are required to make a formal booking and provide public liability insurance. Hirers need to be aware that as temperatures and humidity increases, the likelihood of early morning irrigation events will also increase which may cause some inconvenience be cannot be prevented if grounds are to be maintained at an appropriate level that is fit for purpose.

Are there cricket wickets available for hire in the winter season?

Due to the location of goal posts for winter sports we are only able to hire out the following fields for cricket during the winter season.

• Deakin 2 - Field 205
• Deakin 2 - Field 211
• Duffy 1 - Field 101
• Amaroo 2 - Field 203

All of the above fields have synthetic wickets.

Can we play matches under floodlights?

The majority of floodlights at ACT Government sportsgrounds are floodlit for training. The lux levels at these grounds are not considered adequate to allow for match play. We are advised that insurance cover may not apply to any group that takes part in a match under floodlighting that is only at training standard.

Sport and Recreation Facilities do manage some sportsgrounds that have match play standard floodlighting and they are::

• Gungahlin Enclosed Oval - Football, League, Rugby and AFL
• Hawker Softball Centre, which is managed by Softball Canberra, has 3 diamonds with match play floodlighting
• Lyneham 2 - Football, League and Rugby
• Narrabundah Ballpark - Baseball
• Tuggeranong Enclosed Oval (Greenway) - Football, League, Rugby and AFL

Informal Use Ovals

During the 1990s a number of ovals were converted to dryland (non-irrigated), reflecting their low usage levels at the time. Unlike sportsgrounds, Informal use ovals or low maintenance Ovals are not irrigated and so are not suitable for organised, formal sporting use. They also don't have facilities such as pavilions, toilets, change rooms, canteen facilities and match play lighting but they are a great space for informal recreation and a play space for the local community.

Informal use Ovals are mown on the same cycle as other suburban mowing, around six times per year depending on the season. The surface is also inspected periodically to ensure it is in a safe condition.

The appearance of Informal use Ovals is dependent on rainfall. Like other non-irrigated open space areas, they will appear green when rainfall is sufficient but will brown off in dry times.

The ACT is fortunate to have access to 880 individual irrigated sportsgrounds and there are no plans to reinstate irrigation at Informal use Ovals. To do so would require considerable investment to re-establish the required soil and grass cover and renew irrigation systems.

Community ideas about how to manage and activate the valuable open space of Informal use Ovals are welcome. You can get in touch with us at sportsgrounds@act.gov.au.