A MIILICENT venue now has the capacity to host men’s, underage and women’s football as well as cricket under lights.
Earlier this year, McLaughlin Park Sports Incorporated was given a $108,000 grant by the State Government to upgrade the flood lighting at the main football oval at Millicent.
McLaughlin Park Sports Incorporated represents all sporting codes played at Millicent’s premier venue and the funds for the additional lighting were timely as the current system needed upgrading.
The new lights were installed in time for the recent visit to McLaughlin Park by the 5000 participants in the annual Great Victorian Bike Ride.
The installation took three days and required the expertise of five personnel from Millicent firm Lonergan and Muhovics Pumps and Electrical.
Company spokesman Terry Lonergan said the crew needed a cherry picker elevated platform as well as favourable weather.
Lonergan said his firm had installed the original lights around 20 years ago.
He said three new lights had to be attached to each of the six towers.
“We replaced the mercury vapour lights with LED lights,” Lonergan said.
“They are brighter and use only half the power.”
Millicent Football and Netball Club president Craig Tunkin said the new LED lights would significantly reduce the club’s energy costs and also provide more options for football games.
Earlier this year, Tunkin said the work was necessary to upgrade the complex’s 30-year-old lighting system.
“Currently we cannot re-globe as the globes are no longer available,” he said.
“With the new lights, we will save a lot in power and last 100 times longer.
“The new lights will also bring us up to 100 lux which means we can utilise night matches and brings us up to a football standard.”
Tunkin said night games would benefit the wider community and could potentially include junior games being played after senior games on Saturday.
“It would be great to have the juniors after the seniors which would really strengthen the connection between the junior and the senior families,” he said.
“An oval like this in a community like ours houses school footy, SAPSASA, Auskick and on Saturday we have six junior grades and two senior grades on here.”
MacKillop MP Nick McBride said the upgrade would benefit McLaughlin Park and is now nearing the end of major capital upgrades undertaken over the past seven years, which had been achieved with significant financial assistance from Wattle Range Council and the State and Federal Governments.
The venue last staged night-time football games around 13 years ago when the Millicent Saints hosted the North Gambier Tigers at Under 16 level.
