The decision was made after efforts to finalise designing the works were determined to be cutting it “too close” to when the works would have to get underway in order for the impact on user groups to be minimised. 

Plans were initially set for the turf to be sprayed and ripped up following the conclusion of the Wimmera Football League season after Horsham Rural City Council secured a $100,000 grant in January.

Horsham Saints Cricket Club president Glenn Carroll said it was a common sense decision.

“We want it to get done but these works aren’t desperately urgent,” he said.

“It also gives us a chance to do a few other things that we want to get done around the ground in the meantime.

“Some of the drainage we want to sort out around the ground could still get sorted between now and then and there are some other unrelated projects we might look to get done at the same time.”

The council’s funding agreement with the Victorian government requires the works be completed by December 2018.

“Ideally the best time to try to get this done is during summer months when the school would not be on the oval either,” Carroll said.

“It would have been nice to get it sorted now but it’s just 12 months and we want to make sure it gets done right so that it can take the wear and tear that it is supposed to.”