Sedgefield residents can look forward to a state of the art Multi-Purpose Centre (MPC). The R11.3 million upgrade of this facility is scheduled to be completed July 2015 and officially opened in September 2015.

Ward Councillor and Community Services Committee Chairperson Irene Grootboom said, the existing netball and rugby pitch were in a bad condition and playing any matches was basically impossible. The buildings within the facility also required extensive maintenance and upgrading.

“A substantial portion of the work has already been completed. The first phase was completed in July 2014. This phase included the ripping and layer works of the existing rugby field. The entire perimeter wall was also repositioned and replaced. The building was renovated and new toilets were installed. A new parking area was constructed at with two new access ramps to the sports field”.

“The second phase consisted of the final layers and synthetic surfacing of the rugby and soccer field”. She continued, “Four new energy efficient light masts were installed around the field which will allow for night time sport matches.

Councillor Grootboom explained the job opportunities that this project provided for the local community. “Unemployment is always a major concern in our communities and I am pleased that this project created 50 jobs for local individuals. The project was labour intensive and the main contractors sourced most of the labour from Smutsville for the first phase. The second phase consisted of mostly specialist work with some local community labour sourced from Smutsville”.

“With upgrades of this kind, the Smutsville Multi-Purpose Centre will be one of the best in the Greater Knysna area and the only one with a synthetic rugby/soccer field. This facility will be of great benefit to the community, I urge all community members to take good care of it and ensure that is clean and not vandalised”.

Press released issued by Knysna Municipality.