Nesbitt Park in South Lismore is fenced off, and tractors and graders are digging trenches and placing plastic pipes as Lismore City Council (LCC) improves drainage and enhances playability during wet periods.

It has been such a wet start to the winter sports season that it has caused many games of soccer and some rugby matches to be rescheduled due to the conditions of the grounds.

Council is looking to help with the summer sports schedule such as cricket and general public use by installing subsurface drainage systems, including drainage pits, header pipes, sub-header pipes, mini pipes and sand banding.

LCC has four ovals it will work on, starting with Nesbitt Park, the cricket oval not South Lismore Celtics home ground, followed by Blair Oval (next to Crozier Field), Mortimer Oval (the white picket fence oval near the old Trinity site) and Nielson Park in East Lismore (next to the Bowling Club).

A LCC spokesperson said, "Each oval is expected to take approximately two weeks to complete, weather permitting, with an estimated completion date of Friday, 27 September.

"Thank you for your patience as we work to enhance our community's sports facilities."

HEPBURN PARK DOG EXERCISE AREA SET FOR UPGRADE

LCC will also be upgrading the dog exercise area at Hepburn Park, including a new internal concrete path, a picnic shelter with table settings on a concrete slab, as well as deciduous shade trees to be planted on the western boundary fence.

To safely complete these works, the area will be closed for three days from Wednesday, 30 July, with the picnic shelter and table settings installed by the end of September 2024.

Dog owners and exercisers can use the alternative exercise area at Riverside Park, near the Ballina Street Bridge, during this time.