After last month’s council meeting called for community pledges in writing, Tim Needs, president of the South West Rocks Sports Association (SWRSA), set about obtaining such guarantees of support.

Mr Needs said that with the backing of the South West Rocks community, a low-budget Stage 1 development, comprising amenities block, parking and a basic training field set-up, could now be completed, and it would achieve a saving of more than 30 per cent on the council’s estimated structure cost.

“The Lions and Rotary clubs are the main bodies that are supporting the construction of the amenities block and the building of it,” Mr Needs said.

The council has approved the development application for the sporting fields, but not the cost increase – up from last year’s estimate of $1.4 million to $2.3 million.

“The sporting clubs would be paying for goalposts and cricket pitches, and local business helping out with tree removal and even slashing,” the sports association head said.

Mr Needs, who has led the push to see the sporting complex built at the Boyters Lane site, said the Rotary and Lions clubs were firmly convinced of the need for a second sporting field for the town.

So far over a dozen written pledges have been received and many more have been given verbally.

“The difficult thing is that because of the hard financial times ahead, builders aren’t willing to put there name to any thing just yet,” Mr Needs said.

“But they have certainly agreed to be there and help.”

The association opted for the Boyters lane site after looking at many others, including Crown land in South West Rocks.

But aquisition and clearing costs made many of the alternative sites for the playing fields prohibitively expensive.

SWRSA is a non-profit organisation made up of representatives from the six main sporting clubs in South West Rocks.

These are rugby, soccer, cricket, Little Athletics, netball and Oz Kick. There is also involvement with the town’s primary school.

Mr Needs will be going to the council’s next monthly meeting to address councillors about the pledged community support.

He is also asking other businesses that wish to be involved in the project to contact him or any of the sporting clubs.