When flooding rain stopped the girls and boys of the Bunyip Junior Football Club (BJFC) from training on their oval near Bunyip Station earlier this year, the Gippsland Line Upgrade team let there be light.
The club had an alternative oval available, but no lights to enable training to proceed in the depths of winter’s dark.
BJFC vice-president Damien McKenna recalled having seen mobile light towers being used during the project’s night works, and went asking for help.
The project team tackled the problem head-on, providing two light towers, each with 4 LED lights powered by an extra low-voltage system, to illuminate a reserve oval unaffected by the waterlogging that left Bunyip Recreation Reserve unfit for use.
As Damien explains, it made all the difference for the young Bulldogs.
“It would have meant the teams would have had to train on local tennis or netball courts at various times as a result,” he says.
“It would definitely have hindered the ability for the kids to learn throughout the year and to continue to grow as footballers.”
Bunyip Station is being upgraded as part of the Gippsland Line Upgrade so more trains can pass each other, allowing more frequent and reliable services between Traralgon and Melbourne.
Learn more about improvements to Bunyip Station and the Gippsland Line Upgrade.