Warrnambool's Brauerander Park re-opens after $2.6 million upgrade

Children returned to the Warrnambool sporting facility on Friday after work on resurfacing and improving drainage was completed. A major downpour in January 2020 caused the track surface to crack, and it took 12 months of negotiations with the insurance company to come up with the $1.15 million needed to cover the cost of repairs.

The works were delayed after the Department of Education - which holds the 50-year lease on the land - insisted on more drainage works.

But Brauerander Park Foundation trustee Vern Robson said the resultant improvements made the facility "world-class".

"It's been two years in planning and the result is remarkable," he said.

"Everyone involved is delighted with the world-class facility we now have. The schools are already using the track, it's great to see how excited the students are."

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He said schools had been making other temporary arrangements.

"Everyone understood that to get a world-class result necessitated a bit of inconvenience, but it's been well worth the wait," Mr Robson said.

"Not only is it servicing the south-west area, until we had this facility athletes didn't have access to good quality track or associated facilities and were relying on grass tracks in comparison to schools in Melbourne which had access to Polytan surfaces.

"That was a major advantage."

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