Bill Smyth Oval upgrade

Project: Providing new facilities, including a new multisport synthetic court and a second playing field.

Timeframe: 2021-2025

Status: In progress

Funding: 

  • NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund - $664,767
  • Council funding - $338,905

Page last updated: March 2025

Latest news: March 2025

The new turf has transformed the open area behind the main oval into a full-sized rugby league field. It's taken longer than expected to get to this point and the grass needs to settle in before it can be put to use.

Project details

We working to:

  • build a fenced, lit, synthetic court with reversible goal post for netball and basketball
  • formalise the car park to service the new multi-sport court and existing tennis courts
  • establish a competition-sized rugby league field to the south of the existing field.

The work is identified in the Bill Smyth Oval Landscape Masterplan, developed as part of the Narooma Sport and Leisure Precinct Plan of Management adopted by Council 2020.

Project updates

Image Instant turf is being rolled out over a flat field
The instant turf is laid out across the level playing field at the rear of Bill Smyth Oval
Image Sprinklers are watering freshly laid instant turf.
An irrigation system helps the turf settle in on the new rugby field.
Previous Next

March 2025

  • The instant turf was placed on the rear playing field and the irrigation system installed to water it in.

February 2025

  • Contractors returned to continue work on the new playing field.

December 2024

  • Contractors have finished the bulk earthworks in preparation for the new rugby field. Work will start back up in the new year.

November 2024

  • We've taken some trees out of the back corner to allow for the new rugby league field.
  • Next we'll start on the bulk earthworks to level the playing field.

October 2024

  • We've installed a fence around the work area in preparation for removing some trees from the southwestern corner.

September 2024

  • We are preparing to create a full-sized rugby league field at the rear of Bill Smyth Oval. We'll have contractors on site over the next few months, getting it ready for next year’s rugby season.

June 2023:

  • Work is on hold while a cultural survey is underway. We expect the cultural survey to take around 12 months.

December 2022:

  • Acrylic surfacing of the multisport court is now complete and already receiving lots of action. The weather warmed up enough for the product to bond to the court surface.

July 2022:

  • We've competed the new carpark, fencing and footpaths. The bitumen surface of the multisport court has been line-marked temporarily. We will start work on acrylic surfacing when the temperatures warm up.

April 2022:

  • We've begun constructing the carpark and multisport court.
  • The court is due for completion by the second half of 2022.
  • Council has commenced detailed design of the second playing field and construction is anticipated to start in late 2023.
  • Council will engage with sporting user groups to minimise the impact of construction activities on competition play.

More information

For more information, please contact the Project Manager, Chris Teague: