A traditional Orange sports ground that has deteriorated through lack of use is set for a comeback.
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Orange City Council has allocated $50,000 for the next financial year to spruce-up Perry Oval.
The ground at Victoria Street has plenty of facilities but no teams are playing there.
Cr Glenn Taylor said he and mayor Cr Reg Kidd recently visited the ground and were stunned by its condition.
"We were absolutely shocked. It has been allowed to deteriorate. It is full of weeds. You can't have any sport up there," he said.
Cr Taylor said council staff would determine what was needed to bring it back into shape.
It has been allowed to deteriorate. It is full of weeds.
- Cr Glenn Taylor
"There's hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of lighting there," he said.
Cr Taylor said a drainage system and cricket pitch had been installed at the ground.
"It was irrigated. It was re-surfaced a few years ago," he said.
It also had a canteen and amenities block which he said were sound.
Cr Taylor said it would be far cheaper to restore Perry Oval than to build a new facility.
The sum of $50,000 was decided by Cr Taylor at Tuesday night's council meeting after he said he did not have a report into the state of the ground.
"I pulled out the figure $50,000. That's a ballpark figure. Maybe we'll spend every cent of that," he said.
"We honestly don't know what it will cost."
Cr Taylor said staff would now determine what was needed.
"I'm asking council to do a complete audit of it," he said.
Cr Taylor said the ground had gradually deteriorated from its heyday when it was used for rugby league, cricket, soccer and other sport.
"It was a very, very highly used oval," he said.
"It was the real hub for the community in that area."
Cr Taylor said despite no teams or clubs using the ground he said he believed there was demand for facilities from sporting teams in the city.
"We'd call for expressions of interest from sports groups to use it," he said.
Cr Taylor said it could become a home ground for a team or could be used for regular competition.
"Let's renovate it and bring it back," he said.
Other sports funding in the budget included $500,000 to begin planning for a development application for a mountain bike park on Mount Canobolas.
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