Refurbished Mackey Park now open

The $3.1 million Mackey Park Refurbishment was a significant upgrade of sporting and playground facilities in the park. The project was funded by Marrickville Council and by a $2.265 million grant under the Australian Government Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program as part of the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan.

The Infrastructure and Transport Minister and Member for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese MP, and the Mayor of Marrickville, Councillor Fiona Byrne launched the completed project on 9 December 2010.

Sandslit drainage lines will now be installed across the playing field area. These are narrow channels filled with clean sand. This is the final stage of the field drainage construction in preparation for the 2011 soccer season.

New Facilities and Environmental Works

Mackey Park provides:

a quality turf playing surface for soccer and cricket with irrigation and subsurface drainage and synthetic turf wicket;
new sports lighting to football training standards;
a refurbished sports amenities building including provision of unisex change room facilities, an accessible public toilet and upgraded club facilities and kiosk
an upgraded playground area with new playground equipment, play surfacing, shade structure, furniture, fencing and pathways; and
a new pedestrian path link through the park between Carrington Road and Richardsons Crescent with path lighting.

Environmental benefits of the project include:

The installation of a large solar array installed at Council’s Unwins Bridge Road depot building. The installation is designed to completely off-set the energy consumed by the new sports and path lighting and amenities building.
A constructed wetland to treat the playing field drainage water and reuse of the treated drainage water for irrigation. Irrigation systems have been designed to accommodate future connection to off-site recycled water supplies in the future as part of Council’s Sustainable Irrigation Plan.
Remediation of contaminated fill material including removal of asbestos and excavated material and importation of clean horticultural turf underlay soils manufactured specifically for the site.

Background

Mackey Park Refurbishment Sod Turning Ceremony

In May 2009 Council was advised of the success of its application for funding of $2.265 million under the Australian Government Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program - Strategic Projects for the refurbishment of sports facilities and the playground at Mackey Park.

A draft masterplan was prepared for the works and community consultation undertaken in June and July 2009. Council considered a report on the results of community consultation in August 2009. The report also advised that site contamination had been discovered in preliminary testing for stormwater designs. Council resolved that a range of matters be considered for the preparation of a revised Masterplan for the project. On 10 November 2009 Council considered a report on these matters and resolved to adopt a Revised Masterplan and amenities building plan for the project. The meeting agenda and assessment is available for download here:

Mackey Park Revised Masterplan Council Report, 10 November 2009 (1,368KB, PDF)
Mackey Park Revised Masterplan Council Meeting Minutes, 10 November 2009 (32KB, PDF)

Following adoption of the Revised Masterplan, detailed site investigations and remediation planning for the site were completed and the amenities building plan further developed in consultation with the Marrickville Football Club. The updated Revised Masterplan and amenities building plan below formed the basis for the tender process:

Mackey Park Masterplan, February 2010 (1,929KB, PDF)
Mackey Park Amenities Building Design, February 2010 (32KB, PDF)

Commencement of works was launched by the then Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and Federal Member for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese MP, and the Mayor of Marrickville, Councillor Sam Iskandar, with a sod-turning ceremony in February 2010. Playground works commenced soon after. The amenities building works commenced following approval of a tender in early March.

Council approved a tender for the sports field reconstruction works including new playing fields, cricket wicket, sports lighting, drainage, irrigation, wetland treatment area and pathworks at its 18 May 2010 meeting and this component of the works commenced in early June.

Further information

For further information on this project, please contact the Citizens' Service Centre on 9335 2222.