Significant surface upgrade planned for Bill Paterson Oval

Published on 12 November 2026

Ipswich City Council will look closely at two long-term fixes for repairing and upgrading the grass athletics track and facilities at Ipswich’s home of athletics Bill Paterson Oval.

Division 3 Councillor Marnie Doyle said council considered three options for remediation works at Bill Paterson Oval in Limestone Park with a decision to discount one and take two forward for further technical investigations and cost considerations.

“There is significant community interest in the future of Bill Paterson Oval and it is important we get this right,” Cr Doyle said.

Cr Doyle said the two options to be investigated further would extend the life of the Bill Paterson Oval athletics track and facilities for up to two decades.

“This is a complex location because it sits on top of a former landfill site, which means any remediation work must consider underlying ground stabilisation issues,” Cr Doyle said.

“Council will further examine two options, one that is estimated to cost about $4.1 million and provide a five-to-10-year solution and the other which is estimated to cost about $6.9 million and would extend the life of the track by 15 to 20 years.

“A third option was considered that would have been less expensive, but it would only have delivered a short-term solution and required further works in the future. As it did not align with community expectations for a lasting resolution, it was not progressed.

“Both of the options being further investigated aim to bring the grass running track back up to a standard expected by park users and the broader community.”

Cr Doyle said it was clear council and the community wanted a long-term, value-for-money solution for Bill Paterson Oval.

“We acknowledge remediation will be costly but conditions at the oval cannot be left as they are,” Cr Doyle said.

“We will endeavour to identify funding and budget opportunities in an effort to deliver these works within an acceptable timeframe.

“Further geotechnical investigations will be undertaken to fully understand the works and design required.

“As this project progresses, council will continue to work closely with Ipswich District Athletics and Ipswich Little Athletics and other users of the facility.

“They are the people who know the site best and will ultimately be most impacted by any future works.

“A key outcome from any works undertaken to the site for both key users is to achieve a track surface that can be maintained as a flat, even running surface, free of undulation and trip hazards and one that supports high-level training and competitions.”

The site is currently used for 11 months of the calendar year by Ipswich Athletics Club and about six months (October through March inclusive) by Ipswich Little Athletics.

It is anticipated the options being investigated would take between 16 to 18 weeks to deliver, with any work not expected to begin until sometime in 2027.