Burrangong, Sawpit Gully and Keith Cullen ovals are undergoing the upgrades as part of the NSW Government’s Local Infrastructure Renewal Scheme.

The installation of footings commenced last week, as well as trenching for the electric cables.

Young Shire Council’s operations director Dirk Wymer expects the poles to be delivered, the cabling installed and the lights erected within the next two weeks. 

“The works came about after being identified in council’s strategic sporting needs study and are funded through loan funds with an interest rate subsidy provided under the local infrastructure renewal scheme,” Cr Wymer said.

The news was music to the ears of the clubs who regularly use the ovals, in particular the hockey  and AFL clubs who have had limited training opportunities.

Young Hockey Club president Michael Skillen said they are already making plans to expand their club.

The club no longer has to compete with other weekend sporting clubs as they now have the option of hosting night-time events.

“It’s going to give us the opportunity to run a mid-week competition which is what we’re planning on - that’s where we can look at developing juniors,” Skillen said.

“Saturday is a massive sport day in Young so the lights will give us the opportunity to run a junior competition during the week.”

He is predicting the junior competition to begin the first week of May. 

“We’re very grateful,” Skillen said. 

“Dirk Wymer has been the main one helping us, but the shire has been fantastic. 

“It takes us to another level we haven’t been able to because of the restrictions on the other fields. It’ll help us in our training situation as well. We’re very happy about it.

“It’s been a long time coming.” Skillen said.

Young Saints AFL Club’s player and publicity officer Geoff Harmer spoke said the upgrades will be a positive change for the club.

He said the lights will be the cherry on top for Burrangong Oval which is well on it’s way of being in pristine condition thanks to Young Shire Council.

“We’re pretty stoked really,” Harmer said. “It’s a big change to - come the end of this month - be training under a full set of lights, rather than two mediocre ones sitting on the top of the bank.”

“The council have worked really hard to get the ground up and running, and now with the lights, it won't be a deterrent for guys to come out to training.”

The club looks forward to the day they can host training sessions without the pressure of calling it quits due to minimal lighting.

“It’s been a long hard road, but it’s starting to take good shape out there now and the club couldn’t be any happier with the way things are,” Harmer said.

“By the end of this month, and the first couple of weeks of the following month it’s going to make a hell of a lot of a difference and the club can only move forward from there.”