New surface rolling out as part of $2.6m upgrade to Warrnambool athletics track

They hope to have works completed in time for the first scheduled school athletics carnival in March.

Work on resurfacing and improving drainage at the BrauerAnder athletics track began in late September after a major downpour in January 2021 caused the track surface to crack.

The major upgrade to the drainage system has now been completed and work to repair the surface is well under way.

Five workers from New York state and two from France were on Monday installing the base mat for the track which is 10mm thick.

Peter Carlton, who is installing the Rekortan surface said it was slow and meticulous work.

"It will take some time," he said.

"You don't want to go too fast or you'll separate the kernels of rubber."

Once that base mat is complete, it will be sealed before the signature red rubber top goes on.

Mr Carlton, who works on athletics tracks across the United States, said Warrnambool's facility was comparable to those overseas.

"They're the same," he said. "We drive on the wrong side but everyone still runs around the track the same."

Mr Carlton said while it would normally take about a week to redo the surface, wet weather had interrupted the works but the team was putting in long hours to get the job completed.

BrauerAnder Park foundation trustee Vern Robson said the project would upgrade not just the running track but also the long and triple jump facilities.

"They're very skilled in what they do," he said.

"It's a major project."

He said much of the work had gone to local contractors, and was thankful to the Education Department for working with them to get the drainage works and the resurfacing done at the same time.

Mr Robson said resurfacing works probably needed to happen about every 15 or 16 years - regardless of any once-in-a-100-year flood events - and they were already budgeting for the next one.

Former Brauer College principal Duncan Stalker - who was instrumental in getting the park built 15 years ago - said workers had found the foundation they were laying the new surface on was in great condition.

"That verifies the work we've put in to the foundations and the building and the layers that are underneath which we were told was over the top and so on, but it's not," he said.

While the whole complex initially cost about $9 million to build, if it had to be built today there wouldn't be much change out of $15 million to $20 million, they said.

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