Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)

I strongly object to the proposed development of a large basketball and indoor sports centre on Wallarah No 1 and 2 Ovals and Blackley Oval. The proposal presents serious risks and negative consequences for the local community, which have not been adequately addressed in the planning documents. The three primary concerns are outlined below.
1. Flooding Risk
The site has long been recognised as a flood zone, with local homes inundated during the 2007 Pasha Bulker storm. At present, the ovals function as a natural flood buffer, absorbing excess rainwater and reducing stormwater runoff. Replacing this green space with concrete and a vast roof will exacerbate flood risks for nearby residents. Even the developer’s own flood report acknowledges car park flooding and requires radical measures such as evacuation to a mezzanine floor and car park bollards. Overflow runoff directed to Ker-Rai Creek will likely cause rapid rises in water levels, increasing the likelihood of inundation of surrounding homes. Crucially, there has been no assessment of the impact on Lambton High School, local sporting clubs, or nearby residents. This oversight is unacceptable given the implications for safety, property damage, and increased insurance premiums.
2. Loss of Green Space and Community Impact
The proposed development would remove vital community green space. These ovals are heavily used by Lambton High School’s 1,200 students for curriculum sports, lunchtime activities, and as their emergency evacuation area. The school’s physical education program would be severely disrupted, with the loss of up to 1,200 minutes of class time per year if students must travel off-site for basic sporting activities. The mental health benefits of informal green space for young people—reducing stress and supporting social connections—would also be stripped away. Beyond the school, the ovals serve cricket, soccer, touch football, medieval groups, and the general public. Relocating these activities would undermine local sport, convenience, and accessibility, potentially leading to declining participation. To allocate this space solely to a basketball facility is unreasonable and inequitable.
3. Traffic and Parking Congestion
Traffic in the area is already heavily congested, particularly during school pick-up, work commute hours, and events at McDonald Jones Stadium or the Hockey Fields. The proposal anticipates up to 500 people arriving per hour at peak times, yet provides only 220 car parks. This shortfall will force overflow parking into narrow residential streets such as Hitchcock Avenue, creating safety hazards and potentially blocking emergency services. The development would also funnel traffic into nearby streets like Young, Womboin, Wallarah, and Monash, which were not included in the traffic study. The assertion that additional traffic impacts will be minimal is not credible, particularly given Newcastle Basketball’s own attendance estimates.


The proposed stadium poses unacceptable risks to local residents through increased flooding, removes vital community green space used daily by Lambton High School and other groups, and will cause severe traffic and parking congestion in an already overburdened precinct. These impacts clearly outweigh any potential benefits. I urge that this proposal be rejected in favour of alternatives that do not compromise flood safety, community wellbeing, and existing sporting activity.

I am writing to object to the proposed development of a basketball stadium on [Name of Playing Fields].

1. Loss of Public Open Space and Recreational Land

The [Playing Fields] are currently zoned and used as recreational open space, providing critical community access to sport, play, and outdoor activity. Replacing them with a large-scale stadium would remove green space that is irreplaceable once developed. State and local planning strategies consistently identify the protection of open space as a priority to meet the recreation needs of a growing population.

2. Negative Impact on Children’s Play and Wellbeing

The fields provide opportunities for unstructured play, which is proven to support children’s physical, social, and mental development. Unlike a stadium (which primarily serves fee-paying, structured programs), open playing fields are inclusive and accessible to all children regardless of age, ability, or financial means. Removing these fields reduces opportunities for active play in a time of increasing concern over childhood inactivity and obesity.

3. Community and Club Displacement

The fields are heavily used by schools, local clubs, and community groups for training, weekend competitions, and casual sport. The proposed development would displace these groups, creating pressure on other already oversubscribed community sporting facilities. This runs counter to local council and state government commitments to encourage sport participation and grassroots club development.

4. Traffic, Congestion, and Amenity Impacts

A large stadium will generate significant traffic, parking demand, and noise, creating amenity issues for local residents and further reducing safe play space for children. The playing fields currently operate in a low-impact manner, open to the community without major traffic inflows.

5. Environmental and Urban Heat Considerations

Green playing fields provide essential environmental benefits, including stormwater absorption, biodiversity habitat, and mitigation of the urban heat island effect. Replacing them with a hard-surface stadium increases local heat, reduces natural drainage, and contradicts sustainability principles in planning policy.

6. Equity of Access

Playing fields are freely accessible public assets. A commercial or semi-commercial stadium model risks restricting access to those who can afford program or membership fees, excluding families with limited financial means. This raises issues of equity and fairness in the allocation of scarce community land.

7. Availability of Alternative Sites

There are other potential sites more suitable for a basketball stadium, including existing indoor sporting precincts, industrial or commercial zones, or redevelopment areas. The choice of playing fields for such a facility reflects poor land-use planning when alternative options are available that do not require the sacrifice of existing community open space.


The proposed stadium is inconsistent with planning objectives to:
• protect open space,
• promote community health and wellbeing,
• ensure equitable access to recreation, and
• plan sustainably for future growth.

For these reasons, I urge the Planning Committee to reject the proposal for a basketball stadium and instead pursue an alternative location that does not result in the permanent loss of vital community open space.

Yours sincerely,
Sally

Hi Major Projects Team.

I object to the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre development at Wallarah and Blackley Ovals, New Lambton, on the grounds that the site is unsuitable for a major sporting and entertainment precinct due to inadequate infrastructure, significant community disruption, and environmental risks.

Key Grounds for Objection
1. Inadequate Infrastructure and Traffic Concerns
The proposed development will attract thousands of visitors for major events, yet the surrounding road network—particularly Turton Road—is already congested. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) acknowledges traffic concerns but offers limited mitigation . The proposed Green Travel Plan is insufficient to offset the expected increase in vehicle traffic, which will strain local roads and parking availability. The latest proposal is now taking up the entire park area.

2. Flood Risk and Environmental Impact
The site is located in a known flood zone. Residents have long reported inadequate stormwater drainage . While the EIS proposes on-site flood storage and bollards, these measures do not address the broader infrastructure limitations. The risk of increased flooding due to hard-surface expansion is a serious concern for nearby residents, especially those who experienced flooding during the 2007 Pasha Bulker storm. I believe this proposal is not within the 1 in 1,000,000 year insurance risk and will affect the local residents insurance further.

3. Loss of Community Green Space
Wallarah and Blackley Ovals are vital community assets used by local sports clubs, Lambton High School, and residents for recreation and education . The development would displace existing users, including Lambton Jaffas Juniors and the Newcastle District Cricket Association. Lambton High School relies on the ovals for physical education and emergency assembly, and their loss would negatively impact over 1,200 students. I have personally used this park with my kids and relatives and chosen these particular parks as the other parks to the west are not as suited for open play soccer and frezbe.

4. Insufficient Community Consultation
Many residents, including those living adjacent to the site, report receiving no formal notification or invitation to consultation sessions . The consultation process appears to have disproportionately engaged Newcastle Basketball members, sidelining broader community voices. This undermines the transparency and inclusiveness expected of a State Significant Development. I believe this was fast tracked without proper consultation or consideration to a suited area by a Mayor interested only in procuring a venue in their LGA quickly so as not to loose to another LGA and to push another development they had direct involvement in.

5. Noise, Light, and Residential Amenity
The proposed operating hours (6am–11pm, seven days a week) will result in significant noise and light pollution for nearby residents. The proximity of the carpark and driveway to residential units raises serious concerns about sleep disruption, safety, and property devaluation . This is against councils own regulations on noise and again unjustly affect the local residents.

6. Alternative Sites Not Adequately Considered
Several alternative locations, such as the former Shortland tip or the Broadmeadow showground, were dismissed without sufficient public explanation. The current site selection appears driven more by expediency than suitability .
This whole project needs to go back to be reconsidered for a more suitable location, not due to a rash decision by a Mayor not wanting to lose to another LGA

Conclusion
While I support the need for improved indoor sports infrastructure in the Hunter region, this proposal is fundamentally flawed due to its location. The development poses unacceptable risks to local infrastructure, community wellbeing, and environmental sustainability. I urge the Department to reject the current proposal and explore more appropriate sites that balance sporting needs with community preservation.

I am writing to express my wholehearted support for the continued development and long-term sustainability of the Hunter Indoor Sports Stadium. As a local resident, a mother, and someone who is deeply invested in the health and wellbeing of our community, I believe this facility is an essential part of the social fabric of our region.

The Hunter Indoor Sports Stadium is not just a building where people gather to play sport. It is a place of connection, belonging, and growth. For families like mine, it provides a safe and supportive environment where our children can learn the values of teamwork, discipline, and resilience. It is a space where they are encouraged to be active, to build friendships, and to grow in confidence both on and off the court. As a parent, there is great reassurance in knowing that my children have access to such a positive, structured outlet that supports their physical and mental health.

The importance of this facility extends beyond youth sport. It provides a space for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to participate in recreational activities, whether competitively or socially. For many women, in particular, it offers an accessible and welcoming environment to maintain fitness, manage stress, and find community through sport. The inclusive atmosphere makes it a place where individuals who might otherwise feel excluded from traditional sporting pathways can find a sense of belonging and empowerment.

From a broader community perspective, the stadium strengthens our region by hosting competitions, tournaments, and events that attract participants and visitors from across the Hunter and beyond. These gatherings create not only a vibrant sporting culture but also deliver economic benefits to local businesses, from cafés and restaurants to accommodation providers. The ripple effect of the stadium’s presence extends well beyond its walls, contributing to the vitality of the local economy.

Importantly, the stadium also serves as a pathway for athlete development. It provides young people with the facilities and opportunities to pursue higher levels of sport, while at the same time ensuring that grassroots participation remains at the heart of its mission. This balance between elite pathways and community access is rare and invaluable. It means that no matter what level a person aspires to, the stadium provides a home for their sporting journey.

For families like mine, the stadium is also a place where we spend time together, whether watching our children play, joining in ourselves, or connecting with other families. In an age where so many young people are drawn towards screens and sedentary activities, having a safe and engaging facility that encourages movement, interaction, and healthy living cannot be overstated.

The Hunter Indoor Sports Stadium is a community asset that enriches lives daily. It supports physical health, fosters mental resilience, builds social connections, and contributes to the economic and cultural strength of our region. I strongly believe that continued investment in its maintenance and growth is not just desirable, but essential for the wellbeing of current and future generations.

I respectfully urge decision-makers to recognise the immense value of this facility and to ensure that it receives the support required to thrive in the years ahead. The Hunter community deserves to retain and grow such an asset—one that nurtures individuals, families, and the region as a whole.

Thank you for considering my submission.

I remain opposed to this development. I do not think my initial concerns have been adequately addressed as outlined below.
Traffic congestion, parking and pedestrian safety
The development response has failed to address my concerns in this regard and, in fact, the changes will make these concerns worse as they can no longer rely on the Stadium for overflow of parking, and have said it can just flow to already busy streets. I have attached two photos of a couple of the streets surrounding the proposed development site, which show only local resident parking (very early in the morning). You can see that the streets are narrow, already heavily utilised, and only enable one way traffic when cars are parked (although they are two way streets). I already have issues parking when I visit friends or attend my kids’ high school near the proposed site. And this becomes impossible when there are any events on at the stadium and/or the international hockey fields. Allowing this development to go ahead will make this a daily struggle for the local community and will significant increase the risk of pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
The response from the Newcastle Basketball Association has failed to also address my original concerns, so I’m repeating these below.
My concern as a local resident is the significant increase of traffic in what is an already very busy location especially during the peak period between 4 and 7pm, due to local traffic, training by other sports around the location and movement of school children. I also have extreme concerns about the risk the increased traffic will have on the safety of my children and other pedestrians, esp school children.
This is likely to exacerbate what is already traffic chaos during events at the stadium (Knights and Jets games, concerts etc.), the high school and international hockey fields, causing considerable disruption to local residents. I have experienced this first hand walking local streets before and after these events.
Parking is already difficult in surrounding narrow streets just with cars belonging to residents, businesses and those associated with the local high school. I already have difficulty parking at my friends’ houses in these surrounding streets when there are no events on. This is impossible during events at the stadium with parking stretching to into nearby suburbs, Wests Leagues Club carparks and surrounding streets, which significantly impacts residents and local businesses. I have frequently seen cars parked across people’s driveways, on corners, in no parking areas during these events, which makes it difficult to be on the road during these times and quite unsafe for pedestrians. My husband is a local bus driver, and has also raised concerns about their ability to safely manoeuvre school buses in these constrained environments especially with increased foot and vehicle movements. This will only be made worse by adding an additional 2500 capacity stadium with only 250 car spaces allocated. And will be a daily event, rather than 30-40 times a year.
Loss of green space
My children currently play soccer, junior cricket and attend Lambton High School, and utilise these fields daily. The loss of green space is not proposed to be replaced, yet the local surrounding suburbs (Broadmeadow and Adamstown) are poised to have 60,000 new homes in future.
Lambton High School will lose access to its green space that is currently leases from council. This is needed to fulfill their curriculum of sports and to support their health and wellbeing. The response indicates they can use other fields further away from the school, but this will impact teacher-student ratios (as it involves crossing roads) and will also reduce the active time they get. This is the only green space available to the high school and is needed. Students also use this green space for lunch and recreational time, which supports their health and wellbeing. It is also unclear what will happen to the evacuation procedures as this is currently the emergency evacuation point. Alternative locations would require crossing roads, which is not ideal for 1200 students in an emergency.
My children will also lose access to green space for their weekend sport. Both use these fields to play cricket and soccer. Access to sporting fields by these clubs is already difficult. Removing more green space will only add additional pressure and traffic to those already heavily utilised spaces.
The Association’s response also says the construction height will be raised, further reducing the amount of natural light into the school.
Noise and disturbance
I have significant concerns about the noise impacts to my children, who attend the adjacent high school, during construction. This will impact their learning and exams, especially HSC exams. It will also impact their wellbeing, given exposure to extended construction and noise and air pollution over an extended period. I am also concerned about them having to navigate the streets while walking to and from school, with additional construction traffic, road closures etc. while the stadium is being constructed.
Funding shortfall
It is understood there remains a significant funding shortfall, with Government deciding not to further invest. It is unclear where they could possibly source this level of funding without Government funding, which is already operating in a fiscally constrained budget environment. The proposal says that stage 2 is dependent on funding allowances. There is a risk that, if approved, you will allow the removal of valuable green space, in place of only part a stadium and/or corners will be cut to deal with this.
Flooding impacts
The response does not address my previous concerns, so I have repeated them below. The addition of a swale at the front does not have the same volume capacity that the existing fields provide for water retention. It also means that the area they have provided as “green space” is dangerous and inappropriate. Are they really suggesting we utilise a flood retention mechanism as “green space”?
Flooding impact assessment doesn’t adequately consider the flood impacts. For example, the local canal goes from empty to full very quick (I’ve experienced it doing this after just short thunderstorms). Currently the fields provide flood and stormwater retention for considerable time, keeping these floodwaters away from homes and local streets. The report indicates the only mitigation measures proposed are rainwater tanks. There is no way these could store the same amount of water as the existing fields.
The report also says the carpark might flood, so if people are worried, to park in residential streets instead – further adding the to traffic mayhem in local narrow streets that already can’t fit two cars side by side when cars are parked.
Inadequate community engagement
There has no been adequate community engagement. For instance, over 80% of Lambton High School students’ families were opposed to the development, but we have not been consulted with as part of targeted consultation. Likewise, the local residents in surround streets that I know in Duke St, Rex Ave and Durham Rd have not been consulted but will 100% be impacted by parking loss and traffic in their streets.
Inadequate social impact assessment
The SEIA for the project does not sufficiently address the effect that displacing Western Suburbs Junior Cricket Club. It’s one of the fastest growing junior clubs for Newcastle. Losing ground will not only limit current capacity but hinder the ability to grow the sport.
Misclassification of the ground utilisation
The report misclassifies Wallarah and Blackley ovals as underutilised. This is based on flawed analysis from the City of Newcastle’s Sporting Strategy (2020), which measure usage only for winter sports, rather than peak summer usage. Cricket teams use these fields daily during spring and summer, and loss of this green space will add pressure to other facilities, and insufficient replacement grounds (current proposals are inferior in quality and proximity).

Objection – Amended Hunter Indoor Sports Centre
(HISC) Proposal
As a young person living in Lambton, just a few streets from where the new Hunter
Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) is proposed. I walk these streets every day. I catch the
bus along these roads. So when people say this development is going to “change
the area” — I can already see how much worse it’s going to make life for people like
me.
This isn’t about being “anti-sport” —I love that our area has so many options. But this
proposal is in the wrong place, for the wrong reasons, and made without real input
from people who actually live here. It’s going to make things harder for the
community, not better.

1. This Isn’t What Local Young People Asked For
I don’t know any local young people who asked for a massive indoor sports stadium
right next to Lambton High, on a flood-prone oval, jammed into narrow streets with
barely any parking. What we’ve asked for — again and again — is:
 Safe streets and crossings
 Flood-safe parks and places to hang out
 Sport facilities that are easy to get to without a car
 Green space that’s still green, not concrete
But instead of improving the area for people who live here, this proposal seems
designed for people driving in from outside. It’s not about locals. It’s not about young
people. It’s about ticking boxes and spending grant money.

2. Traffic and Safety Will Get Worse — Especially for Students
Hundreds of cars arriving and leaving at once, every weekend and many
weeknights, sounds like a nightmare. I already see traffic banking up around
Lambton High and nearby streets when there’s an event at the stadium or footy oval
— and that’s without a mega indoor centre being built.
There are school kids walking, buses trying to get through, cyclists, parents with
prams, people going to the shops. Adding a car park and one single driveway for
hundreds of vehicles in and out is not safe. It’s dangerous. It’s unfair to put that risk
on school students and people who live here every day.

3. Sport Should Be Local – Not Pushed Out
Right now, local kids use those ovals for weekend soccer and cricket. It’s one of the
few free, open spaces in the area where you don’t need to be part of a big club or
travel far to play.
If this centre is built, those fields are gone — and local teams will be pushed to other
suburbs. Meanwhile, basketball teams from across the region are brought in, and
traffic increases.
It feels backwards: local kids get kicked out, and we get traffic jams and concrete in
return. That’s not fair.

4. It’s Going to Kill the Vibe of the Area
Lambton is one of those places where you still say hi to your neighbours. You walk to
the shops, go to the park. It’s a real community.
Putting a giant, overbearing stadium right in the middle of that — with floodlights,
noise, and constant traffic — will completely change the feel of the place. It won’t feel
like a neighbourhood anymore. It’ll feel like a car park with houses jammed around it.
There’s also the issue of flooding — this isn’t just a theory. The spot they want to
build on floods, as does the surrounding area and streets. And they want to put a
stadium and a car park there?

5. Even the People Who Want This Don’t Seem to Trust the Plan
I’ve listened to what Newcastle Basketball has said in their online info sessions. A lot
of it honestly sounded like they were just trying to keep the project alive — not really
thinking about whether it’s the right fit for Lambton.
They said there’ll be a new multi-level car park eventually — but it’s not funded. They
said only the car park will flood, not the building — like that makes it okay? They said
everyone supports the plan — but they’ve never asked local young people, or
anyone at the schools nearby.
Even a lot of basketball families I know are worried. They love the game, but they
don’t want to spend half the day stuck in traffic trying to get in or out of a badly
planned centre. A lot of people will just stop going.

6. There Are Better Places for This
Why not build this in a proper sporting precinct — like near the Uni, or in an area with
wide roads and space for proper parking? I’ve read that other sites were offered and
ignored. If that’s true, that’s really disappointing.
This isn’t about saying “don’t build anything.” It’s saying: build it smart. Build it
where it works. Build it where people can actually get to it without wrecking a
neighbourhood.

7. Young People Are Watching
Maybe people think we don’t notice what happens with local planning — but we do.
We see when projects go ahead that don’t make sense. We see when residents get
ignored. We see when community spaces are taken away to make room for concrete
and cars.
We want to live in places that feel safe, welcoming, green, and active — not jammed
up with poorly designed mega projects that don’t fit.

Final Thought: Reject This Proposal — and Get It Right
This version of the HISC proposal fails on so many levels. It’s:
 Unsafe for students and pedestrians
 Unfair to local residents and young people
 Poorly planned with no real traffic or flood mitigation
 Bad for local sport access
 Based on vague promises and weak consultation
Please reject this proposal and work with the whole community — including young
people — to find a better location that actually supports sport and makes the city
better.
Thanks for taking the time to listen.

Young Lambton Resident
Voter.
Concerned neighbour.

Do not approve this proposal.
The resubmission appears to have focussed on a few key items which seem to be built form, local visual impact and mitigating emergency flood risk for the site.
There were hundreds of submissions against the proposed location. The BNAL resubmission seems to be a reiteration of what they consider to be the ‘strengths’ of the proposal and cursory, dismissive and flippant responses to other substantive issues raised.
There is a critical failure of BNAL to consult directly with the local affected residents who have valid concerns. Their lack of consultation is clear in their own submissions since direct community consultation with residents is absent in their records of key consultations. This is the first example of the dismissive nature of the HISC submission in conveniently downplaying the lack of consultation of a critical stakeholder. The fact that the community is not supportive of the bid, in part, is due to their lack of ability or desire to engage.
There is a multi criteria assessment stating there are no suitable locations identified for the basketball stadium, yet a major new sporting complex has just been announced by the City of Newcastle in Maryland and there are significant complimentary road upgrades occurring in that area. Clearly there are suitable alternatives.
In another note, I have reviewed the submissions in support the proposal. 50% simply support a new stadium with no considerations to the location and most without consideration of any aspects of the proposal. Why is this relevant? 50% of the supporting submissions have not considered the impacts of the new stadium at the proposed location and simply want a new stadium at any cost.
In relation to the resubmission document “Response to Submissions and Amendment Report“ – 11 Aug 2025, I note the following:
Broadmeadow Place Strategy
The submission does not support the Broadmeadow Place Strategy. BANL lease expiration facilitates the strategy. The submission does not. The proposed location is outside the area identified in the strategy and neither facilitates or compliments the strategy. The criticality of the deadline for the end of the lease (p. 22) creates urgency for BANL, but should not be a consideration for an assessment of the location. The loss of green space adjacent to Broadmeadow is a detriment to the strategy which discusses green space in and around the precinct.
Accessible Public Transport
Several references in the document suggest that the new location has accessible public transport. Broadmeadow Train Station is too far away for regular users of the proposed stadium, one regular bus and two intermittent busses which would service the stadium. The location of this proposed stadium does not align to any public transport strategy and is not in a location that could be considered accessible public transport. This proposed location would be almost exclusively accessed by car (plus some locals on foot)
Staging 3.1.4
The section on Staging (3.1.4) is an example of the dismissive nature of this resubmission and BANL downplaying a significant element of the submission. BANL state that funding is not an environmental assessment issue and is an issue for BANL to resolve following the approval. This comment lacks rigour. While sufficient funding to deliver the whole project may not need to be available at lodging and not an environmental assessment issue, the following items do need to be addressed:
- Transparency and feasibility of the scope. This proposal replaces a longstanding and well utilised public open space on an existing flood zone, so it has many current uses and amenities for the community. Transparency and feasibility includes the likelihood that this proposal can be constructed as the loss of the uses and amenity will be permanent
- The Estimated Development Cost estimate in Appendix G was already likely to be well under budget as it did not align to the Appendix TT Staging Plan delivery timing and the start date for construction is now well past. Construction costs increase the longer a project takes and the later it commences. The latest submission further pushes back the start and completion date, includes a more complex and therefore more expensive design. This impacts the likelihood of the project being completed and changes the economics. The public should be able to assess the economic impact of the loss of a public asset.
An assessment of the REF needs to be made against a project which can be built within a reasonable funding and timing envelope. This project is significantly over scoped for the suggested funding cap and could be delivered, so the benefits cannot be delivered with no payback or value for money.
Please seek an independent cost estimate which includes an assessment based on current dates, reasonable construction contingencies and risks, including the risk of delays between project phases and associated costs so there can be some assurance that what is proposed can be built.
Section 3.3.1 Reduction of Green Space
There is a comment that Lambton High will continue to have access to Arthur Edden and Harker Ovals. These ovals are fully fenced and tenanted by Lambton Jaffas Seniors and Wests Rugby League respectively. There is no access currently for Lambton High. Why would there be access in the future?
3.3.4 Flooding
The flooding resubmission appears to focus solely on impact to the facility and dismissive of local impact. The new design is more impactful for residents and increases upstream impacts in significant rain events because the car park has been raised which will direct more flows into the undersized drain in a heavy rain event.
A concrete car park speeds up water run off so exacerbates local flooding in heavy rain. The current grassed park slows water and because it is lower than proposed it holds water and slows flood impact. In summary, the redesign is worse for residents than the original submission.
The resubmission ignores concerns of residents about the impacts on properties in a major rain event and focusses in impacts to the site and emergency response.
The example of the raised car park is an exemplar of design to mitigate impacts to BANL at the expense of residents.
My initial submission requested an independent flood impact study on residents and upstream. No reasonable effort has been made by BANL to look at this and it appears that BANL has ignored valid concerns.
3.3.5 Transport, Traffic and Parking
It is obvious that the project does not align to a Transport Strategy as there is only one regular bus, one or two intermittent busses and the site is too far away from Broadmeadow station to be regularly used, especially for the young children who will be travelling regularly to and from this site after school.
The resubmission has not considered the impact of the rat run on Young Street to Newcastle Road which will be created.
The BANL still states that they will use McDonald Jones Parking as overflow even though McDonald Jones has made their own submission stating their parking would not be available (Section 3.3.5 of the Response to Submissions states in :Issues: Events management” that the McDonald Jones Stadium could not be relied upon, but in the “Response” by BANL on the same page, they identify 900 parking spots at McDonald Jones Stadium).
On page 55 Section 4.4.7.1, they state that McDonald Jones stadium car park cannot be relied upon and that an updated parking strategy is provided “in Section 6.7 of this report”, but there is no Section 6.7 so there is no alternate parking strategy to assess.
Given that BANL met with Venues NSW and McDonald Jones Stadium in February and March 2025 to discuss this item, why has this not been considered and included in the resubmission?
I would also note that in Section 3.3.5, many other overflow parking areas are identified which are all in the Broadmeadow Precinct. These will all be redeveloped, so none of that overflow parking will be guaranteed in the future, so also cannot be relied upon
There remains a lack of cohesion and contradictory information in the submission.
The City of Newcastle has requested the formalisation of parking spaces on Monash Road which BANL have excluded from the proposal. Submissions against the proposal have identified to BANL that the current Monash Road parking is non compliant and number of compliant parking spaces in Monash is much less that identified in their proposal. BANL have ignored this information and still use their previous parking numbers to support their submission. Another example of ignoring or overlooking information provided to them if it is detrimental to their proposal.
4.1 Consistency of Project with Broadmeadow Place Strategy (BPS)
The project has no relevance to the BPS other than the context of the BANL being evicted as a tenant to facilitate new construction. The location does not enhance or improve that strategy. The fact that the location is excluded from the BPS implies that the parkland was intended to remain to provide parkland for the development of the Broadmeadow precinct, so this is an overdevelopment, not a complimentary development.
4.4.4 Draft Hunter Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan
BANL identify retention of the existing shared path. The current path is non-compliant to current City of Newcastle specifications and should be made compliant (wider) as part of the development. BANL have stated no intention to upgrade this shared path, so no alignment to the Plan.
This venue will operate after sun down. It is reasonable to assume more active transport use on the path. From experience, lighting on the path is poor from Turton Rd to Wests and it is adjacent to an open drain. There are safety and security issues that should be a consideration in the proposal.
There are minimal public transport options and far less than the current location.

Do not approve this proposal.

I have grave concerns regarding the proposal to erect Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) basketball stadium, on Wallarah & Blackley Ovals New Lambton.

As my house is directly opposite the footbridge over stormwater drain many cars stop at the end of my driveway to drop children off for sporting activities, the children run across this busy road without looking, and this will only increase.
Lack of traffic lights at junction of Monash and Turton Roads will make it impossible for traffic to exit Monash Road heading south.
Loss of green space for 1200 high school children exercising, school sport and general sports.
Noise and pollution during construction and also when completed with stadium in use, commencing 6am till after 11pm.
Flooding due to cemented car park when at the present time excess water is absorbed by grassed area.
Lack of habitat for local bird life!
Lack of, or misinformation, regarding this proposal has led to both myself and my husband developing cardiac diseases.
The local population covers all age groups but mainly retirees who are stressed and concerned re flooding, traffic, noise, vandalism and crime increasing. In addition, the inability of family, friends, and tradesmen, to visit when large events take place, which will be for 18 hours a day 7 days a week.
Basketball staff and patrons will find it easier to park in surrounding streets rather than stadium carpark with only one entrance and exit, to their car park.
We have witnessed men and boys urinating into the drain, behind existing trees and on our front lawn, once again this will only increase, and also requests from total strangers to use our bathroom!!!!!!
Due to the proximity of our house to the footbridge we have had requests for medical assistance including heart attacks, broken bones, people drunk and falling in the drain, cars in the drain, people incurring injuries. These have been few and far between but will only increase
I am strongly opposed to the development of Newcastle Basketball stadium on Wallarah and Blackely oval.

To Whom It May Concern,
As a resident living 40 metres opposite the proposed development site, I am writing to object to the proposed project of the Hunter Indoor Sporting Centre (HISC). This objection arises from the continuous lack of thorough consideration regarding major flood risks, traffic and parking issues, noise pollution, air pollution, light pollution, loss of green space, and safety to the surrounding residential area. Not only is this distressing, as the concerns from my first submission have not been addressed, but the responses and amendments to the development appear to be exacerbating concerns around flood risk, traffic, and the loss of green space.
The quality of the scoping report reflects alarming ethics and standards of the Basketball Association of Newcastle Ltd (BANL) and associated consultants regarding the development. The continuous lack of planning and response to concerns, and the absence of concrete evidence-based mitigation strategies, raise questions about the disastrous consequences of the development of HISC in this location.
The inflated benefits to health and wellbeing claimed by the proponent to gain support lack well-rounded considerations and neglect substantial evidence of the negative consequences this development will bring to current and future generations. An Equity Focussed Health Impact Assessment (EFHIA) completed with properly cited evidence around my two concerns is attached: namely (1) Noise pollution and (2) Loss of Green Space. Please refer to this EFHIA for evidence-based inequitable health impacts this development will have.
Apart from concerns such as budgetary constraints, which are clear with the major funding shortfall and flood risks, I would like to raise issues of traffic congestion and road safety. With attached photos in Appendix B showing the current situation on parking, where illegal and unsafe parking is a daily occurrence when people park in residential streets, the lack of meaningful response except perpetual emphasis for attendees parking on residential streets is distressing and troubling, showing that there are indeed no mitigations around such issues.
The chronic shortfall of the current 55-year-old basketball stadium is undeniable. The population growth in the Hunter region and Newcastle area undoubtedly calls for better-supported sports facilities for sport participation. However, the lack of meaningful and substantive consultation and addressing concerns many community members have raised shows how non-feasible this project is.
All in all, I object to this project and urge the department to find another suitable location for this important development to meet the growing needs for basketball as a sport.
Thank you.
Appendix A – HISC Equity-Focussed Health Impact Assessment (EFHIA) Objection Report
Appendix B - Traffic Congestion Photos on Monash Road

I lodged an objection to this proposal in 2024. Previously raised concerns have not been addressed: visual impact on the high school & local residents; increased traffic & parking in residential streets; increased noise levels; impact on Turton Rd traffic; cumulative effect when events coincide with MJS or the hockey centre; increased risk of flooding roads & properties; lack of parking; loss of green space to schools & community; loss of school evacuation point; traffic effect on 303 Turton Rd residents; displacement of other sporting codes to “new” fields half an hour away; the effect on the emotional & physical health of local residents & school students; no acknowledgement of real-life experiences of local residents; no genuine community consultation with residents; effect on local Broadmeadow businesses who have their parking areas filled up with patrons attending events rather than customers - 2 local vets, a major medical clinic, Red Cross Blood Bank are critical businesses who are impacted by the total lack of event parking that already exists without adding another major sporting complex with next to no parking.

The proponent appears to have addressed all concerns in relation to risk to the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre - but states there will be no adverse effects from the development. This is contemptuous. Also contemptuous is the displacement of 1,200 school students per annum, 3 sporting codes & the general community - for the benefit of one sport "which wants it all". I played basketball, as did my late husband. My daughters played basketball & now my eldest grandson is a playing member of Newcastle Basketball. If this was built, it would be walking distance from his home & so convenient. However, neither he nor any of my family support the application. It's not about convenience or being close to other sports centres. It's about whether this location is suitable. It is not.

I do not oppose Newcastle Basketball seeking a new sports stadium. I do however, strongly oppose the location they have chosen. The impact on the local school & residential community of noise, traffic, parking, lighting will be immense. We continue to be told by the applicant & supporters that the NSW Government needs this application to be approved. Please do not lose sight of the BIG picture - the negative impacts far outweigh any benefit to the sport of basketball. Traffic & parking is chaotic when events are on at McDonald Jones Stadium. Another 22,000 patrons per week, 7 days a week from 6am-11pm is not sustainable in our proximity. Homes & lives could be ruined by compounding the flooding issues in this area. The flood reports fall well short & are not based on factual, recent flooding events.

From what I understand, State Significant Developments can only be approved where the benefit to the public is greater than any negative impacts. This proposal delivers everything that Newcastle Basketball want (even though they don't have the funding to even complete Stage I & will need to renew their lease at their current site!). However, multiple sites in the region may well deliver those benefits. The adverse (& irreversible) impacts on students, residents, other local sports, & general motorists far outweigh the benefit to basketballers.

I believe that genuine engagement with the local community is also a requirement. Newcastle Basketball have failed to meet with us or engage with us. A few residents received information regarding limited "drop in" sessions over 2 evenings. They have not genuinely made an effort to engage with us & this is an opportunity lost to them. Should they have met with us on site or close to the site, we would have openly shown them factual examples of how we are already impacted by overdevelopment with insufficient parking. We would have shown them dozens of photos of flooded streets, homes & the significant absorption of rainwater that the 3 ovals continue to provide. We would have told them of our concerns & genuine fears. However, their last minute drop in sessions where we are divided into single one on one conversations with so-called specialists in their field felt like bullying & intimidation - divide & conquer. The flood expert admitted he'd never seen the site during wet weather. How do you reason with an "expert" that only quotes information from artificial intelligence? Those who attended found it infuriating & contemptuous. No open engagement has been had with the community. We are yet to even get a single Labor or Liberal Newcastle councillor to meet us on site - because the newly elected independent Mayor, independent & Greens councillors stand with us & oppose the location. We really feel like we are unheard & our way of life & the foreseeable negative effects on us are irrelevant.

Please refuse this application.

The project is excellent. Basketball is one of the world's fastest growing sports. It is international and at an Olympic level. It can be played day or night, and in all weather. It can be played by all ages and by people with disabilities.

The demand for basketball in Newcastle exceeds our current capacity to enable all players to access courts. When there is such a need for physical activity in our community, there is enormous urgency to build this centre. Existing facilities are also outdated, leading to injuries and unnecessary court closures.

Provision of a large basketball stadium will benefit thousands of Novocastrians every week. Whereas the existing fields only accommodate a few, and cannot be used at all in weather weather.

The proposed development is excellent. It provides multi-use indoor space, and capacity to hold large regional events here in Newcastle. It makes the fields useful, whereas currently they are frequently unused.

It's location is excellent. I am a local resident, living in New Lambton, and believe building the stadium here is an asset.

Given the area is prone to flooding, I believe that a sports complex is the best infrastructure to be built there, rather than residential, school, hospital or business. I strongly hope that there has been significant consultation with experts to manage potential flooding.

In terms of loss of open green spaces, I hope that there will be replacement green space designed into the new Broadmeadow "sports and entertainment" precinct. Hopefully returning some of the previously filled in wetlands back to their natural state, and converting current concrete drains into artificial creeks with native plants, but still with the same flood management capacity. I believe there have been trials if this concept in other areas of Newcastle.

In terms of traffic, I believe it is located in an excellent position, where there is already proven capacity to hold large crowds based on use of McDonald Jones Stadium. Access to the large McDonald Jones carpark is an additional asset.

Positioning the indoor centre at the same location as the football stadium and hockey fields is ideal. Another location would be suboptimal.

I am in VERY strong support of the project, meeting the needs of both local and greater community, being an appropriate use of the land, and upgrading existing sport facilities.

I hope that flooding has been deeply considered. And I hope that the open space lost will be replaced in the new Broadmeadow development.

To Whom It May Concern,
As a resident living 40 metres opposite the proposed development site, I am writing to object to the proposed project of the Hunter Indoor Sporting Centre (HISC). This objection arises from the continuous lack of thorough consideration regarding major flood risks, traffic and parking issues, noise pollution, air pollution, light pollution, loss of green space, and safety to the surrounding residential area. Not only is this distressing, as the concerns from my first submission have not been addressed, but the responses and amendments to the development appear to be exacerbating concerns around flood risk, traffic, and the loss of green space.
The quality of the scoping report reflects alarming ethics and standards of the Basketball Association of Newcastle Ltd (BANL) and associated consultants regarding the development. The continuous lack of planning and response to concerns, and the absence of concrete evidence-based mitigation strategies, raise questions about the disastrous consequences of the development of HISC in this location.
The inflated benefits to health and wellbeing claimed by the proponent to gain support lack well-rounded considerations and neglect substantial evidence of the negative consequences this development will bring to current and future generations. An Equity Focussed Health Impact Assessment (EFHIA) completed with properly cited evidence around my two concerns is attached: namely (1) Noise pollution and (2) Loss of Green Space. Please refer to this EFHIA for evidence-based inequitable health impacts this development will have.
Apart from concerns such as budgetary constraints, which are clear with the major funding shortfall and flood risks, I would like to raise issues of traffic congestion and road safety. With attached photos in Appendix B showing the current situation on parking, where illegal and unsafe parking is a daily occurrence when people park in residential streets, the lack of meaningful response except perpetual emphasis for attendees parking on residential streets is distressing and troubling, showing that there are indeed no mitigations around such issues.
The chronic shortfall of the current 55-year-old basketball stadium is undeniable. The population growth in the Hunter region and Newcastle area undoubtedly calls for better-supported sports facilities for sport participation. However, the lack of meaningful and substantive consultation and addressing concerns many community members have raised shows how non-feasible this project is.
All in all, I object to this project and urge the department to find another suitable location for this important development to meet the growing needs for basketball as a sport.
Thank you.
Appendix A – HISC Equity-Focussed Health Impact Assessment (EFHIA) Objection Report
Appendix B - Traffic Congestion Photos on Monash Road

I have attached my objection. The second submission for the proposed development still does not adequately address the concerns around loss of green space in an urban environment, loss of amenity and safety for the adjacent school students and community, highly increased flood risk and overwhelming traffic concerns. This indoor stadium needs to be built somewhere else.

I object to the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre being built at the proposed location due to the following reasons:
- major traffic congestion due to being opposite Hunter Stadium and being located on a very busy road
- parking issues already exist in the surrounding streets. This would further add to the parking problems
- Loss of parkland for local residents
- loss of playing fields for local sporting clubs- soccer, cricket and schools
- increased flood risk for the surrounding area due to the amount of water runoff from the facility
We should never lose our green space in a city. Once it has gone, it has gone for all time.

Children in our family will be attending Lambton High School and we would like them to have access to natural green space as they have been lacking this in their primary school - New Lambton Public School. We have firsthand negative experience of kids not having an opportunity to play and do sports on natural grass within the school premises. Every school needs to have plenty of green space. Insufficient amount of grass and areas to run around/play has a detrimental effect on children's physical and mental wellbeing.

I’m writing to object to the basketball proposal. I grew up in the neighbourhood and have recently moved to Brisbane, but I still visit often. The ovals beside Turton Road were a big part of my childhood: after school my mum would take me and our dog there so I could run around. Even when soccer or cricket were on, there was still room to play. It felt like a safe, open community space.

I’m also a lifelong Knights fan and have been to many games. A friend lives on Duke Street and, for a while, we parked there. We stopped because getting out after games was so congested that it was faster to park much further away and walk. There’s no continuous footpath on the walking route we used, so at the exact time cars are streaming out, people are walking on the road. It’s not safe.
My concerns with this proposal are:
Traffic and parking overflow. From the material I’ve seen, weeknights could draw hundreds of people at a time and weekend events up to 2,500. That’s just for sport; the fly-through basketball have on their website shows study/meeting spaces upstairs, which would add more users. I don’t see how the on-site parking covers this without spilling into nearby streets (like my friend’s in Duke St) and repeating the same dangerous patterns we already see after big events.
Pedestrian safety and access. If the centre proceeds, the surrounding streets—especially those without continuous footpaths—need upgrades before opening. Right now, people are pushed onto the carriageway at the same time traffic is trying to clear the area.
Loss of open green space. Those ovals gave kids like me a free, flexible, every-day place to be active. Replacing informal, open access with an indoor venue (with bookings, events and fees) is not a like-for-like swap for daily health and community life.

I support indoor sport for Newcastle, but not at the cost of safety, day-to-day living, and the casual open space that shaped my childhood. My friend has been very stressed about this and was talking to my mum about it so I asked how I could help. Please refuse this proposal because it is the wrong place for something like this, it will effect too many people and the space isn't big enough.

Thank you

I wish to make this submission as a resident of New Lambton and in my professional capacity as a Life Member of the Planning Institute of Australia. I am also the City of Newcastle’s former City Planner/Director of Planning & Development and former Chair of the Hunter & Central Coast Joint Regional Planning Panel.
Upon reviewing the amended project's accompanying documents, and through my knowledge of the project site and its surroundings, I have the following major issues of concern regarding the project:

• The Hunter Park regional sporting and entertainment sub-precinct as proposed under the Draft Broadmeadow Place Strategy is confined to the east of Turton Road and therefore does not intrude into the New Lambton residential and local open space areas to the west of Turton Road. Under the Draft Place Strategy, Turton Road is viewed as the appropriate western extent of large scale intensive regional sporting and entertainment facilities, thereby not eroding New Lambton's local open space character and not unreasonably impacting upon its residential amenity.

• The proponent’s Response to Submissions & Amendment Report (11 August 2025) at p.92 submits that the proposed development of the indoor sports centre on the subject land aligns with the “strategic intent of both State and local planning frameworks” and “remains consistent with the strategic vision for the site and broader precincts”. At section 4.4 of the Amendment Report (pp.53-55), it cites the strategic planning policies it claims are relevant to the proposed indoor sports centre and the subject land. However, none of the seven (7) strategic planning policies cited promote the development of a major indoor sporting facility on the subject land. The only specific reference to the site appears in the City of Newcastle Strategic Sports Plan 2020 which provides strategic guidance and facility direction for 13 outdoor sports to 2031 and refers to the need to “review ongoing use of the site (Blackley Oval and Wallarah Oval No.1-2) for cricket, due to it being non-compliant with Cricket Australia standards. It makes no suggestion that the site should be considered for development of an indoor sports centre of any scale, let alone one of the substantial bulk and scale proposed by the HSIC.

• The proponent’s Amendment Report at p.55 and p.64 refers to the Government Architect’s Better Placed integrated design policy (August 2017). The SEARS requires the Better Placed ‘objectives for good design’ to be addressed as part of the indoor sports centre development proposal. The “Better Fit” objective of the design policy stresses the importance of ensuring that proposed additions to the built environment are “informed by and derived from its location, context and social setting……and relevant to and resonant with local character”(p.38). I strongly believe that the proposed indoor sports centre fundamentally fails this objective. It seeks to impose on the low scale and fine grain residential character of New Lambton a building of substantial mass, bulk and scale. The proposed building will reach a height of 15.82m, equivalent to 5 storeys, and, through its bulk and scale, cannot be regarded as being informed and derived by its urban context, nor “relevant and resonant” to New Lambton’s local character. In fact, the proposed building’s height is 86% greater than the 8.5m maximum building height applying to the adjacent R2 Low Density Residential zoned land. Furthermore, I cannot accept the findings of the Visual Impact Assessment Report accompanying the Amendment Report that the overall visual impact of the proposed indoor sports centre will only range from moderate to low (p.53). Rather, the substantial mass, bulk and scale of the building will present a significant and overbearing visual impact upon its host setting.

• Blackley Oval and Wallarah Oval currently provide a range of local sporting options in a public open space setting, such as football and cricket. Such options will not be available to the public should the Ovals be redeveloped as proposed under the HISC project. I have major concerns over the appropriateness of this change: i.e. from a publicly accessible 3.77ha local open space area to a substantial indoor regional sporting facility with its associated on site car parking. This is particularly so in a suburban location where public open space is a highly valued resource both for New Lambton’s residents and its nearby local schools. The result will be the loss of 3.77ha of publicly accessible and regularly used open space playing fields.

• The HISC project incorporates a total of 240 on-site car parking spaces. This is clearly inadequate to accommodate the parking demand generated by the proposed development. The significant overflow parking will therefore occur in the residential streets of New Lambton, impacting adversely upon the amenity of the residential areas. The Response to Submissions & Amendment Report suggests at p.76 that the overflow parking could be accommodated in a spread of locations, not just the residential streets, e.g. Richardson Park, some 1.8 km walking distance from the HISC site; and Wanderers Oval, 1.5km walking distance. These are both open space green areas. The Report also cites the McDonald Jones Stadium parking and the Newcastle Entertainment Centre parking as overflow parking options, neither of which has Venues NSW support.

• Vehicles wishing to enter the proposed HISC carpark when travelling from the north will tend to use the Turton Road/Young Road intersection before travelling along Womboin Road, Wallarah Road and Monash Road to enable the left turn from Turton Road into the proposed carpark. Likewise, exiting vehicular traffic from the proposed carpark wishing to travel south will tend to use various residential streets in New Lambton in order to eventually join Bridges Road or Lambton Road. These increased traffic movements will present undesirable amenity impacts upon New Lambton’s residential areas.

• Floodwater storage displacement created by the proposed building and associated car park should be further examined. The likelihood of increased flash flooding in Monash Road as a result of the floodwater storage displacement requires careful consideration. Council’s advice in this regard is important.

For the reasons outlined above I consider the HSIC proposal to be most inappropriate for the site and for its location. I therefore trust that the consent authority will refuse to grant consent to the proposal.

This is the wrong place for this development!!
Local parks and can never be replaced and this takes away, as why New Lambton is a desirable suburb.

As for the development, I do support it is needed.

There is 313 hectares of land, just across the road, which is being developed as a sporting precinct.
This development should be included in that.

Personally, I am absolutely disgusted that taking our parks away from the local community/schools and sporting clubs is even being considered.

Please listen to your local community and put the Indoor Sports Centre in the Sporting Precinct.

Josh

Newcastle needs and deserves a new basketball stadium now. Competitions are over subscribed and children and adults are missing out on playing on a regular basis. The lucky few that get to play have a stadium that leaks, bits of the roof fall onto the courts and Newcastle misses the chance to have a team in the top national competition as we don’t have the facilities. The proposed location adds to the existing Broadmeadow sporting precinct. Newcastle has a great hockey facility, rugby league stadium and we deserve a brand new Basketball stadium.

I have written again as I do not believe any of my previous concerns have been addressed, in fact, I believe the mitigation means discussed make the situation worse in many ways. I have attached my submission with my previous concerns and have bolded my concerns as they stand from these recent reports.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment again. Please consider what I have written as I am gravely concerned for the livability of so many people - predominantly local residents but also current and future Lambton HS students, current and future daily commuters