This unique facility offers players the opportunity to play both during the day and in the evening

McLean Oval Redevelopment

With an aging playing surface plagued with drainage issues, the Denmark Oval needed to be redeveloped to enable the return of Australian Rules football and soccer matches to the venue—while also maintaining facilities for cricket, athletics, and social users. Due to our longstanding relationship with the Shire of Denmark, we were bought in to help.

Our team undertook investigations and testing to identify the root cause of waterlogging issues affecting the oval’s surface. Based on this information, we developed designs to upgrade the playing field to enable year-round use by the community. Site works revealed subgrade conditions that differed to those indicated by geotechnical investigations, necessitating oval design modifications during construction. Liaising closely with turf specialists and the client, testing and analysis was performed to identify alternative options to optimise drainage performance. We also facilitated negotiations with the contractor to agree amendments to the design and associated variations to the contract.

Our prompt recommendations and clear communication with the client and stakeholders enabled the most cost effective and efficient option to be selected. Now, games can be played year-round, both during the day and in the evening.