The City of Ballarat is handing over the responsibility of preparing turf wickets to clubs as part of new annual $100,000 partnership with Ballarat Cricket Association.
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The Eastern Oval - the home of Golden Point - will be the only exception under the five-year agreement.
The City of Ballarat will continue to look after the preparation and maintenance of the regional cricket hub facility turf wickets at the ground.
In keeping with an historic agreement, the BCA will also continue to be responsible for the maintenance of hard wickets in the municipality.
The new arrangement will mean the City of Ballarat will no longer oversee wickets at the Western Oval for Brown Hill, Alfredton Reserve (Ballarat-Redan), Northern Oval (North Ballarat) and CE Brown Reserve (Wendouree).
Although the change means clubs will have to provide manpower, they will receive some financial support.
As well as being used to promote junior development, player pathways, cricket for people with disabilities and women's cricket, the BCA will utlilise some of the $100,000 to subsidise clubs for the upkeep of turf wickets.
BCA chairman Rob Florence said it was a great outcome for the Ballarat cricket community.
He said the BCA had been working on the equalisation of costs for a number of years, but previous attempts to find a solution had proved too hard.
Florence said this arrangement removed a variation in costs, putting clubs on the same footing.
This was reinforced in state by the City of Ballarat:
"One of the key objectives of this new agreement is to resolve long standing inequities between clubs because of differing arrangements for the preparation of turf wickets.
"While the City of Ballarat has historically undertaken the task of preparing turf wickets for some clubs - at council's cost - some clubs have been responsible for preparing their own wickets at their own cost.
"Under the new arrangements all member clubs will prepare the turf pitches subject to an approved process and separate agreement."
City council is estimating the change to the wicket prepartion program will save it $171,500. These savings are part of the overall consideration to approve the five-year strategic partnership with the BCA.
Council will maintain ownership and responsbiliity for maintenance of rollers.
The BCA is planning to start its season on Saturday, October 3.