Raglan Bowling Club has used its share of Waikato District Council’s Better Off Funding allocation to enhance its facilities by installing a new irrigation system to upkeep its greens.

Alan Price, President at Raglan Bowling Club says that having both greens fully operational and well maintained is not only vital for the club but also the wider Raglan community.

“The bowling club hosts regular events with between 10 and 12 open tournaments a year which attract up to 32 teams each, as well as a range of community events such as twilight bowls and social gatherings.

“Many local schools also enjoy our facility with regular coaching sessions and private tournaments.”

The need for the irrigation upgrade comes after the main water pressure failed to provide enough water for the greens. Prior to the upgrade, Alan and club volunteers would have to irrigate the greens manually which would take up to two hours per green.

“The new fully operational system irrigates the greens within 90 seconds, so not only does it save time and resources, but it’s critical for maintaining the natural grass green and the sand based artificial astro green,” says Alan.

“The grass green requires regular fertilising with herbicides and insecticides which need to be watered after application, so both greens need consistent moisture levels and daily watering.”

Once the Better Off Fund was secured, along with generous funding from Kettle Korn, the project was completed in five days with the installation of a new 5000-litre tank and new sprinkler heads. Associated pipe work and recalibration of the Rain Tech electronic control system was additionally completed.

“We’re extremely grateful to Waikato District Council for helping us secure the Better Off Funding, it has made a huge difference to the quality of our greens,” Alan says.

As more projects reach completion thanks to the Better Off Funding, Deron Sharma, Infrastructure Development Manager at Waikato District Council says it’s inspiring to see the effect the funding has had.

“I’ve been lucky enough to meet with applicants like Alan to see the amount of heart he and the club put into maintaining this facility for the Waaingaroa Raglan community.

“It’s been a privilege to see the impact the funding has made and to help give these volunteers valuable time back in their day so they can refocus on other activities.”

With the goal of continually improving the Raglan Bowling Club, Alan says the wish list of work continues to grow.

“Our next aim is to secure funding to replace our ageing artificial green with a new carpet green so the community can enjoy a smoother game.”

The previous government developed the Better Off funding programme as part of its Three Waters Reform as an investment into the future of local government. Waikato District Council were one of a few councils who took the opportunity to engage fully with their communities and secured an allocation of $7.88 million from the government, which was split across 20 diverse projects.

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