The Eagle Park Main Range 1 roof rebuild saga is hopefully soon coming to an end after months of delays, with the end of August the updated completion date.

“It’s been a frustrating process, especially for the clubs and members who’ve been massively inconvenienced by the works,” Facilities Manager Shaun Doyle said.

“We’ve been hampered by unforeseen issues which were compounded by the inertia of the insurance company.

“If we didn’t have to wait for approvals by the insurance company, the works would have been completed by now.”

Anyone who has dealt with insurance companies will know they can move at glacial pace, and that has been the experience at Eagle Park.

It took months from the time the old structure was damaged by wind in September last year to even get a decision from the underwriter on whether to replace or repair the remaining structure.

It was determined a full replacement was required and plans were drawn up and approved by the underwriter before the building permit was issued with hopes all would be completed by the end of April.

When everything seemed to be on track to get the new structure up, builders then hit an unforeseen snag in the form of old concrete footings where the new footings were planned to be positioned at the rear of the firing line.

That was just before Easter and meant revising the building plans and returning to the underwriter with new costings for them to approve, which further delayed the process.

The idea was to install new footings behind the old and add to the depth of the roof, especially after all the front footings had already been dug.

It then transpired that the redesign required the application for a planning permit which would add a further three to six months to the project.

Alternatives which would not require a planning permit were sought and it was decided to shift the footings 1m laterally.

This means that the newly dug front footings will be filled and repaired this week and building can recommence soon afterwards.

Without further delays, including weather, it’s anticipated the new roof will be completed by the end of August.