On 19^th May 2009, staff from Shire of Busselton commenced construction of the new sports oval in Dunsborough.

Several key milestones have already been achieved, including:

• the new oval site has been cleared;
• the first layer of sand for the base of the oval has been placed giving the oval its future shape;
• the second 300mm layer of growing medium has been placed, which is the well-drained material  the turf is then laid onto;
• In total, approximately 15000m3 of fill material has been carted in to the site, which is the equivalent to seven Olympic pools of soil and sand;
• the fill is now being left to consolidate over winter.

The Shire of Busselton is also working closely with the local Aboriginal community and as a result of this co-operation several large Melaleuca trees to the north of the oval will remain, whilst many other Melaleucas and grass trees have been transplanted around the Dunsborough Lakes Drive boundary.  Twenty grass trees have also been transplanted to the Aboriginal garden in Koordan Place Busselton, with an additional ten planted behind the Tourist Bureau in Busselton.

An Aboriginal Heritage Study was commissioned before any work commenced and the study recommended that Aboriginal monitors be present, as the area is known to be rich in Aboriginal heritage.  During the earth stripping process several chirt (stone) artefacts were recovered and as a result the southern end of the new oval has been declared a "site" under the Aboriginal Heritage Act, requiring the Shire to seek Ministerial approval before any further work can continue at the southern section of the new oval.

Further consultation was recently undertaken with local Aboriginal families and that feedback will form part of a submission to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs seeking the necessary approval to continue works. 

Prior to any work on the southern section of the new Dunsborough Playing Field re-commencing an archaeological dig will take place and this process has the potential to delay the completion date of the new oval, in addition to possibly deferring the start date for reconstructing the existing oval. In the meantime the Shire will continue to work in areas of the oval that are unaffected by this development.

Shire of Busselton President, Cr Wes Hartley, said that such a co-operative approach with the Indigenous residents of our municipality was both welcomed and appropriate, in addition to underlining the Shire's commitment to equity and a sense of inclusion for all of our residents.

The Shire of Busselton will keep the local community updated on this project via its Council for the Community Page in local media as new information comes to light 

Media enquiries can be directed to the Shire's Public Relations Officer, Helena Webb on 97810446 or helena.webb@busselton.wa.gov.au