Why replace natural grass with artifical?

NATURAL SURFACE: The Sports Bowl in Masterton.

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While one contingent of athletics proponents are pushing hard to get funding for an all weather artificial running track at the Sports Bowl in Masterton, one notable running stalwart is opposed to a new facility.

Ray Wallis is well-known in athletics and Harriers circles and has made a submission to the Masterton District 10-Year Plan (LTCCP) saying that an all weather track is not giving value for ratepayers' money and an artificial surface could even be bad for children's feet.

Mr Wallis' submission is in opposition to a submission by the All Weather Athletics Track Trust which is asking council for $300,000 to go towards an 8-lane artificial track.

Even though Mr Wallis has been track running since 1947 he made his submission on the all weather track in his capacity as a ratepayer and believes that putting in an all weather track in the Colin Pugh Sports Bowl would be about as useful as sticking a ski lift up Mount Rangitumau.

He told the hearings committee that he was now an athletics advisor and says if the three Wairarapa grass tracks were upgraded they would be suitable for local purposes.

"Since 1896 track and field events had been held on grass with no problems and top athletes had not been disadvantaged," he says.

He pointed out running is a natural activity and grass was a natural surface and he felt that the all weather track would be too hard for bare feet.

"I believe that grass is far more beneficial to the human body than any artificial surface," he says.

He is also worried about the extra money that would be needed for maintenance and future replacement of an all weather track, particularly the cost of resurfacing the track in ten to fifteen years. He asked who is going to pay if the track gets damaged by vandalism or vehicles driving across it.

"They're not going to fence it, so you could imagine what a guy on a motorbike with big mudgrip tyres gets on there and roars around is going to do to it," he says.

Mr Wallis said he was given a good chance from the council at the hearings and they asked him some detailed questions on his views and whether the Queen Elizabeth Park oval might be appropriate. He told them he thought the cost of preparing the Oval for track running would also be prohibitive.

Mr Wallis was doubtful that an all weather track could attract major national athletics events without all the other necessary facilities to support it.

"It's no good having a million dollar track unless you've got all the other facilities to go with it like an all weather stand. You can't create a record on any track unless you've got photo timing- that's another $100,000, at least,' he says.

The All Weather Athletics Track Trust presented council with a Powerpoint presentation with a background and feasibility study at the hearings on the 10-Year Plan and advised council that an accurate estimate of the cost would be available by later this month.

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