By Trevor Jackson
BLUE Lake Sports Park is still under attack, with ravenous corellas wreaking havoc around the picturesque venue.
In good news, baseball returned to Diamond 1 on the weekend, after the recent attacks had rendered the main venue unplayable.
Games had been transferred to other venues, including Diamond 3 at BLSP, which appeared virtually untouched.
Volunteers rallied to ensure play could return in a timely fashion to Diamond 1, with sand utilised to patch the outfield.
Division 1 double-headers were played on both Saturday and Sunday to put the grass to the test and it came up trumps.
However, other locations at BLSP have also suffered.
While there is ample time before hockey kicks off in the region, the main water-based field has also been under attack.
While the synthetic turf may not appear too tasty, it has not been left by the corellas, with extensive damage to marking lines around the field.
The cost of repairs could be in the vicinity of $25,000, with suggestions the surface is currently unsafe for play.
The South Gambier football oval was also affected somewhat but the Limestone Coast women’s Football League has still been able to utilise the ground.
A recent story in The Border Watch suggested the corella problem on cricket’s main turf wicket suggested the South Gambier club was on top, with roughly-fashioned scarecrows and plastic hoses resembling snakes helping deter the birds.
However, just a few weeks down the track the corellas have again wreaked havoc, with the pitch destroyed and now unplayable for the remainder of the season.
Mount Gambier and District Cricket Association president George Kidman said he has been told to forget about the venue for the remainder of the season.
As a result a Barber Shield Round 10 home game for South over the next two weeks has been moved to North Sportsman’s home venue of Marist Park.
Kidman said a big flock of birds must have moved in and even driving around the ground trying to move them on did not work.
The corellas clearly discovered the scarecrows and snakes were not real and no threat, before moving onto the wicket and devouring the grass cover.
It is the second year in a row the wicket has been attacked, with last season’s incident able to be repaired to finish the season.
This time there is no chance of play until next summer, with Round 10 the final minor round before finals and the damage to the wicket too extensive.
Kidman said the association would work with council to see what could be done moving forward.
