Introduction
The Groundsperson at the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure maintains sporting turf and grounds at Sydney Olympic Park. Facilities include the NSW Rugby League Centre of Excellence and the Archery Centre, where field use and user expectations affect how maintenance is planned. The work involves preparing surfaces and undertaking renovation while looking after equipment and safe work practices.
This guide explains how to apply for Groundsperson with a CV and cover letter grounded in the grounds work you have completed. Experience with sporting fields, golf courses or similar high-quality open spaces is relevant, particularly where the site stayed busy during maintenance. Your letter should explain how you kept surfaces in suitable condition and adjusted the work when priorities changed.
Choose an example with a clear problem, such as deteriorating turf or a maintenance window that had to fit around bookings. Walk through how you assessed the condition and selected the treatment or equipment, including the safety precautions involved. The result can be described through presentation, safe use or the ability to return the ground to service when it was needed.
View the official job ad while you plan your application.
Groundsperson role snapshot
| Role | Groundsperson |
| Organisation | Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure |
| Location | Sydney Olympic Park |
| Employment | Temporary full time, 38 hours per week, up to November 2028 |
| Salary or remuneration | $86,347 to $95,482 per annum plus superannuation |
| Source job ID | 603436 |
| Closing date | 25 October 2026 |
Application requirements for Groundsperson
- CV
- Cover letter
The vacancy does not specify a cover-letter limit. We recommend two pages focused on relevant turf and grounds experience, subject to the application form’s instructions.
Role conditions and qualifications
- Horticultural trades certificate or equivalent experience and technical knowledge
- Chemical Handling Certificate or capacity to acquire and retain it
- Current driver licence
- National Criminal Records Check
- Working with Children Check
- Work rights valid for the appointment
Candidate evidence for Groundsperson
Sydney Olympic Park’s sporting grounds need turf that stays safe and playable as bookings and field use change. This role maintains facilities including the NSW Rugby League Centre of Excellence and Archery Centre, combining turf renovation with routine grounds work and equipment care. Applicants with experience on sporting fields, golf courses or comparable grounds can use the way they managed conditions and competing users as evidence.
The following evidence areas are practical application guidance for the work described.
| Evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Maintaining quality turf and grounds | Describe the condition of a sporting field or comparable site and the maintenance or renovation work you completed to improve it. |
| Safe use of equipment and horticultural methods | Explain the technique and equipment you selected, including how you managed risks and protected the site. |
| Organising work around competing use | Show how bookings, weather or urgent maintenance changed your priorities and how you agreed the revised work with others. |
| Practical problem solving | Use a fault or turf-condition issue to demonstrate what you checked and how you chose a workable solution. |
Example application structure for Groundsperson
The application requires a CV and cover letter. We recommend a focused two-page cover letter because the vacancy does not give a maximum. The outline below keeps your examples tied to turf quality and the operational demands at Sydney Olympic Park.
| Application section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening | State your interest and the type of grounds or turf work that is most relevant to the facilities at Sydney Olympic Park. |
| Turf and grounds experience | Use a maintenance or renovation example to show your horticultural knowledge and the condition or playing outcome you achieved. |
| Safe equipment use | Explain the equipment and methods you used and how you managed risks while the site remained operational. |
| Work priorities and teamwork | Describe how you coordinated maintenance around bookings or changed conditions, including the people you kept informed. |
| Eligibility and closing | Confirm the relevant horticultural background and role conditions, keeping any certificate or check information accurate. |
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- Describe the condition of a sporting field or comparable site and the maintenance or renovation work you completed to improve it.
- Explain the technique and equipment you selected, including how you managed risks and protected the site.
- Show how bookings, weather or urgent maintenance changed your priorities and how you agreed the revised work with others.
- Use a fault or turf-condition issue to demonstrate what you checked and how you chose a workable solution.
Before you submit
Check the temporary appointment dates and the 38-hour working week alongside the qualifications and checks required. Your CV should identify the grounds and equipment you have worked with, while the letter explains the decisions behind a few relevant tasks. Read the application form for any additional written instructions before the 25 October deadline.
Return to the official vacancy to check the final submission instructions.
Help with your Groundsperson application
For help choosing and organising your own examples, request application support from Team 3Thirty. Bring the vacancy and your current CV so the written application can explain work you have completed.