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The Polytan designed and constructed all-weather, multi-use field for the Forestville Hockey Club at Netherby in Adelaide’s inner south is now complete with the facility located at Unley High School.

The surface installed by Polytan is their new Poligras H2OZ GT sand-dressed system, which includes bio-based yarn ‘Green Technology’ as used in their premium Olympic-quality water-based turfs.

Once fully completed the $4.16 million project will provide Forestville – Australia’s oldest hockey club – with a new home.

Forestville Hockey have funded the project with support predominantly from the South Australian Government, a little from local government City of Mitcham, and Department of Education supplying the land.

The multi-sport pitch at Unley High School is 100% Australian made by Polytan and complies with all relevant Australian standards for construction materials suitable for use in schools.

The Forestville Hockey Club has been working closely with Unley High School with the first key stage in the project - the laying of the 6000 square metre synthetic pitch, giving Unley High School students daily access to an all-weather surface for hockey, netball, six-a-side soccer and touch football from this term. It will then be used by the Forestville Hockey Club for training, with competition games to take place from the 2025 season.

The Forestville Hockey Club has about 350 members ranging in age from juniors as young as four years old to senior players up to the age of 74.

The project was more than five years in planning for Forestville Hockey with the biggest hurdles including finding a suitable location and funding. The club previously trained on grass and played at the state centre in Gepps Cross.

Forestville Hockey Club President Helen Stone noted “the move to Unley High School is the start of a new era for Forestville Hockey Club. With a long and proud tradition in South Australia since 1905, we look forward to playing and building on our strong hockey programs to ensure the success of the club for the next 120 years.

“The club is delighted to share this wonderful facility with Unley High School, with so many of our current club juniors attending the school.

“Not only can Forestville now enhance our on-field training and playing experience, we can provide community, social and educational programs for our members through having a single home base for all of our teams and families.”

Construction of the associated clubrooms and changing facilities will take place later this year, allowing the club to relocate from its current home at Millswood. Moto Projects and Dash Architects are involved in overall site planning and the future club house.

Other project features include:

• The installation of  a stormwater detention tank to improve existing conditions and reduce flooding risk on neighbouring properties. With sensitive Urrbrae wetlands located to the north of the field, drainage filters have been installed on each stormwater pit
• A 500-lux LED lighting system installed with option of 300-lux for training

Commenting on the project, South Australian Sport Minister, Katrine Hildyard shared “to empower as many people as possible to experience the positive physical and mental health benefits of being involved in sport, we need versatile playing spaces.

“We are proud to support the development of this multi-use space that does just that. Investment in this space brings huge value and possibilities to the school and wider community as well as to hockey club members and participants in other sporting codes.

“This outstanding collaboration between the school, the hockey club and community, is a shining example of what is possible when people and organisations work positively together to create environments that have the health and wellbeing of people at their heart.”

City of Mitcham Mayor, Heather Holmes-Ross said the new facility would prove invaluable to the community, adding “this multi-use space at Unley High School is a fantastic asset for the school, the club, and the wider community. It provides countless opportunities for individuals to engage in sport.

“To have public school students from Unley High School benefit from this multi-sport facility is an investment in their education and future opportunities.”

Unley High School Principal Greg Rolton shared “our students will benefit greatly from the shared multisport facility through PE classes and regular organised house sports at lunchtimes.

“Being an all-weather surface means students can be active outside even when the grass ovals need to be closed due to wet and muddy conditions.”

The construction of the all-weather, multi-use field commenced in November 2023 and was completed in June 2024.

Polytan Project Partners include:

• APT Asia Pacific
• Davison Earthmovers
• Active Asphalt
• REES Electrical
• TEB Contractors
• Fieldquip Fencing

For further information about Polytan, click here to visit their entry in the Australasian Leisure Management Supplier Directory.

Image top:Polytan surface for Forestville Hockey Club; image above: Forestville Hockey Club Credit: City of Mitcham.

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