THE school bells of Ipswich will start ringing again in a few days’ time and a local sporting facility accessed by students has been gifted much-needed upgrades announced on Saturday.
The Ipswich Hockey Grounds are set to enjoy state-of-the-art facilities thanks to upgrades at the Ipswich Hockey Grounds delivered through a $500,000 Federal Government election commitment.
Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann opened the upgraded facilities during the Under-14 Girls Hockey State Championships being held at the Ipswich Hockey Grounds following the completion of the upgrades.
The upgrades were completed this month and include improvements to grass fields and irrigation systems, new goal boxes, scoreboards and clocks, a new solar power system, and installation of energy-efficient LED lighting at both turf fields.
This will help reduce the hockey grounds’ energy and water usage, and make them safer for players, with well-lit and well-irrigated fields, reducing the risk of injuries.
In addition to the Federal funding boost, the Queensland Government provided $250,000 for a new turf field in front of the clubhouse, while the Ipswich Hockey Association funded a $250,000 lighting upgrade, as part of a $1-million three-stage project.
“Hockey has a long and proud history in our region and these upgrades will benefit hockey users everywhere, while also providing opportunities for other sports to use the fields in the off-season,” Mr Neumann said.
Ipswich Hockey Association senior vice-president Scott Stenzel said he was delighted with the upgrades.
