GLOBAL TURF CARE
Inside Melbourne Cricket Ground
TURF IS TOP DOWN UNDER The National Sports Convention in Australia proved a perfect platform for learning from one another, and as our industry continues to innovate, adapt and share knowledge, it is clear that the passion and personalities involved in turf care know no borders
A By Geoff Webb IOG chief executive
round 1,500 delegates attended this year’s two-day National Sports Convention at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, where a series of presentations on sports surfaces was one of the many educational conference programmes. The IOG was privileged to be asked to collaborate. We were keen to help raise the profile of the often under-the-radar facilities sector, of which modern day sports management and groundsmanship are key components. A range of subjects were covered in the surfaces conference, including natural, hybrid and artificial turf. A common theme among them, however, was the need to look to the future and how to adapt and survive – and it was interesting to see what challenges were being presented and the thinking being applied to overcome them. One key discussion point was that playing surfaces need to keep pace with demand as the
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population grows and as more people want to play outdoors more frequently. Australia has a population of only around 25 million, but faces huge challenges in tight budgets, drought and other environmental factors. Compare this to a UK population, which is estimated at 68.4 million (in 2017) – albeit within an area of just 242,500sq km compared to Australia’s 7,692,000sq km and you quickly see why sports provision in the UK often cannot cope with the demand, or has been replaced by housing and the growth of urbanisation. So, our prized assets and green spaces are under pressure – hence why we are seeing sports bodies re-assessing their strategies and coming up with new ideas to enable them to sustain playing facilities. New technology and case studies on the management learnings of hybrid pitch trials (as presented by Mark Bowater, head of parks services for Auckland Council, New Zealand) provided useful insights, especially when compared to the ongoing