Turf skills get a boost

Otago Polytechnic sports turf management programme student James Taylor, of Gore, fine-tunes his mechanical skills while tweaking one of four new mowers, collectively worth $140,000, at the Bannockburn campus. Photo by Rosie Manins.

Programme manager Gary Smith said the 20 first- and second-year students might also be involved in the development of turf at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium in spring.

They were the first students to use $140,000 of new mowing equipment, purchased after grants from charitable groups and money raised through a golf tournament in Cromwell last year. Cromwell businesses also helped with the purchase, Mr Smith said.

The four specialised mowers, of which three were ride-on models, meant students were able to acquaint themselves with modern technology likely to be used in their careers.

"Our old equipment was second-hand, unreliable, out-of-date, and breaking down. This is the first time our students have been able to use the kind of equipment they will be dealing with on work experience and in their future jobs," Mr Smith said.

Of the programme's 20 students, 12 were in their first year. The rest had returned to complete the last half of the course.

Mr Smith said the programme was so popular there was a waiting list.

Mr Smith was hopeful students would be involved in major projects throughout Otago in the coming year.

He had been approached by a company vying for the contract to develop turf at the Dunedin stadium, and was trying to encourage hosts of Rugby World Cup matches to utilise his students' ability in 2011.

"Hopefully, the company which approached us about the stadium will be successful in its tender and we can start turf construction come spring. Our students will also be available to work on grounds for the world cup, which would be great experience for them."