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Open in new tab Best practice guidelines
for holistic open space
turf management in Sydney
First published in Australia in 2011 by Sydney Water
1 Smith St
Parramatta NSW 2150
Australia
sydneywater.com.au
Copyright © 2011 in text and photographs (except where otherwise credited below)
Copyright © 2011 Sydney Water Corporation
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.
Disclaimer
Occasional references in this publication to trade names and proprietary products are inevitable, but such references
are not to be construed as constituting an endorsement of the named products, nor is any criticism implied of simi-
lar products that are not mentioned. The points of view expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the official policies of Sydney Water. The information provided by the authors is given in good faith and based
on their knowledge and experience. It cannot, however, be expected to cover all contingencies that might arise in
actual practice. The guidelines are published without liability on the part of the authors or Sydney Water for any loss
or damage suffered as a result of their application or use.
Kevin Young
Managing Director
Message from the
Managing Director
The Best practice guidelines for holistic open space turf
management in Sydney promote the efficient use of water on
Sydney sports fields. These guidelines are just one of a series
of documents compiled by Sydney Water to help save our
precious water supply. This series aims to capture the expertise
of Sydney Water and key industry experts to share ‘best
practice’ industry knowledge.
Within Sydney Water’s area of operations, there is an abundance
of open space turf areas for active and passive recreation.
However, there are also dramatic contrasts in altitude, landform,
soil type, climate, population density and land use.
All open space turf areas require maintenance to meet quality,
fit-for-purpose and sustainability requirements. Irrigating open
space turf areas accounts for over half of the water used by
councils in Sydney Water’s area of operations. This irrigation
uses about 8 million litres of water a day.
But managing these areas is not just about water. Far too often,
people misunderstand the need for resources, for example:
• over-watering on sites that need more fertiliser
•
installing expensive drainage systems on sites that actually
need soil decompaction
• decompacting sandy sites
• adding too many nutrients to sites with thin topsoil.
The industry widely acknowledges the need to develop a common
understanding on effective open space management to meet
community needs and minimise resource use. These best practice
guidelines will help you understand the needs of soil, turfgrass
and how water is used, but they will also help you understand
the relationship between these factors. It aims to supply turf
managers with the tools to develop the best strategies to balance
turf health with the needs of those using the open space.
While some of the information here may challenge some
widely accepted practices, we believe this will open up new
opportunities to increase the quality of sports fields and save
water at the same time. We welcome the discussion.
We hope the best practice guidelines encourage open space
turf managers to think holistically about their sports fields,
appreciating the relationship between soil, turf, irrigation,
drainage, patronage and management practices.
Kevin Young
Managing Director, Sydney Water
Acknowledgements
These guidelines will be reviewed and updated with new technical information
as it becomes available. Comments on the guidelines can be emailed to
businesscustomerservices@sydneywater.com.au. The names of government departments
and agencies mentioned in these guidelines were correct at the time of publication.
Sydney Water thanks the following for their contribution to these best practice guidelines:
Technical advisors
• Dr Peter Martin – University of Sydney (Principal advisor)
• Dr Mick Battam, AgEnviro Solutions, Pty Ltd (Principal advisor)
• Geoff Hatton, Sustainable Turf Renovations
• Steve Garland, Steve Garland Landscapes Pty Ltd
• Dr Jim Hull, Independent Turfgrass Consulting Pty Ltd
• Simon Leake, Sydney Environmental Soil Laboratories Pty Ltd
• Tim Gilbert, Irrigation Australia Ltd
• Tony Spinks, Hydroplan Pty Ltd
• Rohan Brown, Hydroplan Pty Ltd
• Annie Kavanagh, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water
• Assoc Prof Basant Maheshwari, University of Western Sydney
Acknowledgements
• Claire Hammond, formerly Sydney Water
• David McKechnie, Irrigation and turf consultant
• Alisa Bryce, URS Pty Ltd
• Joshua Ryan, URS Pty Ltd
• Craig Briscoe, Cronulla Golf Club
• Alexia Hill, Wingecarribee Shire Council
• Mark Bowman, Department of Defence
• Bruce Sutton, University of Sydney
• Andrew Porter, URS Pty Ltd
• Stuart Sutton, Ezi-grow Pty Ltd
• Tony Hodgins, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water
Ian Curtis, Hurstville City Council
Peer review (in alphabetical order)
• Phillip Ambler, Ku-ring-gai Council
• Sally Armstrong, Sydney Water
• Darren Atkins, Sydney Water
•
• Mark Goddard, Blue Mountains City Council
• Fernando Ortega, Sydney Water
• Tony Robinson, Sydney Water
• Melanie Schwecke, Pittwater Council
• Alison Scotland, Sydney Water
• Grant Willoughby, Sutherland Shire Council
Message from the Managing Director
Contents
Acknowledgements
Contents
List of figures
List of tables
Introduction
Get the basics right
Why is open space turf management important?
Case study: Kings Park, Parramatta
Benefits of open space turf areas
How are open space turf areas classified?
Part 1 – Soil
What is soil?
What kinds of soils do we have in Sydney sports fields?
How much water can different soil textures hold?
Your topsoil is your water tank
Managing soil compaction
Case study: Layering and compaction at an oval in Sylvania
Case study: Surface hardness and infiltration at an oval in Narellan
Water repellent soils
Case study: Using organics at Wingecarribee Shire Council19
Other soil issues to look out for
Part2 – Turf
The relationship between turf, soil and water
How much water does turf need?
Watering open space turf areas in Sydney
Microclimates
Case study: Trees competing with turf on Paul Keating Park, Bankstown
Good nutrition leads to healthy turf
Understanding nutrient requirements
Managing insects, weeds and diseases
Managing turf thatch
Replacing turf
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