Reserve committee wants campers back mid-year

CAMPERS could return to Newbridge Recreation Reserve by the mid-year school break.

Committee secretary Sue Horsley said a June re-opening for camping was possible as volunteers and contractors continued the cleanup that started within days of the near-record level floods.

The reserve went under water last October for the second time in 11 years and the reserve committee has been working with insurance assessors and their contractors on repairs.

Work at the flood-damaged reserve this week will see painting and tiling of the main building.

Sue said struts and bearings had been cleaned to remove mould and new plaster walls installed.

Sue said confirmation on insur-

Sue Horsley

ance coverage for some damaged areas at the reserve was still to come.

The committee has dipped into its bank balance to fund some repairs and replacements while waiting for approval of State Government grant applications.

Sue said some equipment would have been removed from the reserve if Goulburn Murray Water had alerted the town in the days before floodwaters hit on October 14.

“Even with 24 hours notice, we would have had farmers with trucks taking out electrical and other equipment,” she said.

“We weren’t given that opportunity by GMW,” she said.

Newbridge Football Club president Andrew Friswell told supporters this week that “things are looking positive” for the club to be back at its base this year”.

“Inside the main building, all of the plaster has almost been completed with painting commencing this week also and we also expect that tiling should start in the next couple of weeks.

“All windows and doors have been repaired in the main function room.

“On the footy oval, water has finally been reconnected and all sprinklers have been repaired or replaced.

“There is still a lot of work on fencing etc that needs to be completed and our lights are a little bit away from being in working order”.

Sue said the Rock on Loddon fundraiser in January had been a significant help to funding early repair and replacement works at the reserve. She said the committee was looking at how to recognise people who contributed and made donations to the recovery fund.