LET THERE BE LIGHT AT BERKELEY OVAL

As the sun set on a Tuesday evening in August, Easts Group representatives, local MPs and the community sporting groups gathered at Berkeley Oval for the official opening of the new energy-efficient 510 lux LED lights.

Easts Group Director Brien Samphier, CEO Joe Kelly, Group Community & Government Relations Manager Anthony Brooks and Berkeley Sports General Manager Mark Wheeler joined the Hon. Paul Scully MP, Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM, Mayor and Councillors Linda Campbell and Ann Martin, at the ribbon cutting in the presence of several of the local community sporting organisations, including Berkeley Sports RLFC and Berkeley Sports Football Club. 

The $95k Upgrade Project was funded by Berkeley Sports Club in conjunction with Wollongong Council and the NSW Government’s Female Friendly Community Sports Facilities and Lighting Upgrade Fund.

The energy efficient LED lighting project future-proofs the facility and supports night-time training and competition games. The project also supports increased participation and volunteerism and provides a safe facility for all participants from Berkeley Women’s Football Club, Berkeley Women’s Rugby League Club, and visiting teams from across the LGA.

General Manager of Berkeley Sports, Mark Wheeler said, “The installation of these new LED Lights at Berkeley Oval is a fantastic improvement for community sports in Berkeley. Women’s sporting teams, along with other grassroot sports, will be able to undertake late night training and competition games – something they were unable to do previously across winter months.”

In addition, the new LED lights that were installed are also environmentally beneficial. They consume one-third of the energy compared to previous lighting and can last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, providing 120,000 hours of operation lifetime. 

 The Easts Group has a strong focus on community support and providing stronger and safer facilities. The lighting upgrade at Berkeley Sports will help numerous local sporting clubs around the area to train and compete and we’re proud to share our involvement in the successful launch of this project.