The aging Orange hockey pitch could be ripped up and replaced with a state-of-the-art surface if a new funding application is successful.
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Orange City councillor Tammy Greenhalgh has moved a motion at the ordinary meeting on Tuesday June 4 for council to consider an allocation of $200,000 in the 2024/25 budget considerations.
The motion states: "The Smith hockey field is an essential community asset, nurturing a love for hockey among residents and visitors.
"Its current sand-based surface falls short of International Hockey Federation (FIH) standards, hindering safety and player performance, and limiting opportunity.
"The Smith field revitalisation will create a modern synthetic pitch, to FIH specification, fostering community engagement, inclusivity, and safety."
If successful, the funding will bring Orange Hockey Association's savings goal to completion and allow for the estimated $1.4 million project to finally begin.
![Feds Jets and Orange Ex-Services X-Men clash in the 2023 division one men's grand final. Picture by Jude Keogh Feds Jets and Orange Ex-Services X-Men clash in the 2023 division one men's grand final. Picture by Jude Keogh](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/131358433/ca5f6428-e32d-4ac7-81dc-519067f6171e.JPG/r1504_1358_5338_4569_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Orange Hockey Association president Janeen Toner-Wasil said the project to date had taken countless hours of fundraising and volunteering from members and supporters.
"We have about 1000 members, we've raised $600,000 ourselves and we've got a grant from the NSW government for another $300,000," she said.
"So we hope with the council's help and then some more fundraising we hope to be doing something by September this year.
"We'll see how we go."
![Orange Hockey Association president Janeen Toner-Wasil, Daryl Kennewell, and Darryn Marjoram at the Smith Field. Picture by William Davis Orange Hockey Association president Janeen Toner-Wasil, Daryl Kennewell, and Darryn Marjoram at the Smith Field. Picture by William Davis](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/131358433/c5cfc67c-9a6b-4fc3-9e3d-da138af40378.jpg/r0_360_3135_2120_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Smith Field is located at the top of the centre and was the original turf surface installed in 1991.
Since then technology has progressed with hockey moving first to water-based pitches and more recently to hybrid surfaces.
The Smith turf was also relayed with the original field remaining underneath, creating a 'turtle shell' in the middle of the field.
Proposed work will see a hybrid surface installed in addition to replacing fencing and expanding the perimeter of the field to bring it in line with international standards.
![The Smith field, the sand is visible on the surface. Picture by William Davis The Smith field, the sand is visible on the surface. Picture by William Davis](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/131358433/b23f72e3-9810-4c87-9846-062f266d9bf5.jpg/r0_0_4032_2267_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Toner-Wasil explained the upgrades would allow Orange to host outdoor carnivals such as as masters, something the current facility is not allowed to do.
"The money that comes in with the indoor state championships brings at least $2 million into the city for the weekends that they're on," she said,
"You can only imagine what a state championship for field players would do because there's more players who come to that than an indoor state championship."
Toner-Wasil said she and committee were hopeful heading into Tuesday's meeting the application would be positively received by councillors, citing the association's recent Davis Field maintenance, a project undertaken without applying for council funds.
"We're fairly confident," she said.
"It is council-owned, the hockey centre, and we do a lot of the work up there without asking for their help.
"The last time we replaced Davis Field turf it was with our own money only, about three or four years ago.
"So if we hadn't done that, we would probably have the money to do this ourselves.
"We are hoping that they're impressed by what we've done."