Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)

1. Loss of green space in cities is unacceptable.
2. This proposal should be rebuilt in the proposed Broadmeadow Strategy.
The prosed site on Wallarah and Blackley Ovals is NOT in the boundary of said strategy. These ovals are used by the local communities of Lambton/New Lambton and Lambton High School.
Loss of 3 sporting fields used by soccer and cricket is irreplaceable. Young children are in record numbers in these sports and participation by young girls is on the increase.
3. This area is in a flood plain and houses have been inundated. Covering green space with concrete is madness.
4. Ovals are 3.3 hectares. Scoping report has stated project at 7.83 hectares?
5. Total cost of this project is estimated at $60,000,000 short of grant money promised.
6. Traffic on Turton Road and surrounding streets and suburbs is now overburdened. Basketball is quoted as having 20,000 people per week, 7 days per week from 6am to 10pm. The streets now are unmanageable when McDonald Jones Stadium and Hockey fields are in use. Newcastle Council has applied to host 13 extra events there in 2025 eg. concerts.
7. There is only one entrance and exit on Turton Road. Coming from either direction is impossible to use main roads for in and out and cars will be turning surrounding area in to rat races which will impact both suburbs of Lambton and New Lambton.
8. Lambton High School’s loss of green space is irreplaceable. They are a school of concrete and depend daily on this green space. School is at capacity with 1200 students. Ovals are used for recreation and lessons.they have their own basketball courts indoor and do not need more concrete and an enormous building butting onto their school. Ovals are also used as an evacuation point.
In this day and age there is a massive problem with teenage mental health and accessible green space is essential for their well being.
The school principal and staff are not in a position to object to this gross loss of space as it is muzzled by being a state entity. The P. And C. Community are against this proposal.

I live quite close to the proposed development site and I have 3 objections to it:
1. Increased parking and traffic congestion. The proposed site is adjacent to the MacDonald Jones stadium. On days when an event is held at the stadium (e.g. football match), our narrow streets are choked with cars, with visibilty for driving reduced , and sometimes cars being parked across residents' driveways. It is chaotic. The proposed sports centre with its increased traffic and parking demands would make this chaotic situation much worse. Our narrow roads would not cope. We simply do not have the road infrastructure to support a major project like this
2 Loss of green space and consequent increase in stormwater runoff. This area is already at high risk of flooding, with water over the roads when heavy rain falls. There is a stormwater drain adjacent to the proposed site. Our risk of flooding would increase, and so would our insurance premiums.
3 Loss of a much valued community resource. These 2 ovals are already in use by community groups (including Lambton High School) and individuals living nearby. It is not waste land!!

I am not against a sports centre in itself, but this is entirely the wrong site. Please consider the many people who already have their homes in adjacent streets who would be severely disadvantaged in the ways I have listed above.

Please find attached my statement opposing the proposed development of the HISC on the Wallarah and Blackley ovals site in New Lambton.

Green space is needed. I’m sure there are plenty of other suitable areas for the development.

The City of Newcastle and the Newcastle Basketball Association urgently need a new Indoor Sporting facility to be able to service the ever increasing demands of the greater community. A number of prior planning proposals have been rejected for various reasons, however this planning proposal has significantly addressed all prior concerns raised. Very few planning proposal will address or meet every objection, and this proposal is no different, with Parking being a very vocal and emotive issue.

The current sporting fields have no onsite parking and require the users and observers to park in the adjacent and surrounding streets, with this occurring for over 40 years. There is significant "social media" chat raising concerns of increased parking impacts on the adjacent and surrounding streets. This was recently echoed by the newly elected Lord Mayor, who with little time in the role, openly stated that the site was not appropriate and it should not go ahead, I would state his comments were mis-guiding and he is mis-informed, given the Council staff are in support of the planning proposal.

The proposal as submitted has included 300 off-street parking spaces, which is more than double the current venue, which will accommodate attendees and significantly decrease the volume of cars parked on the local streets and this should not be a reason for denying this planning proposal.

Council has indicated the current outdoor sporting activities can be accommodated on the nearby green spaces and parks of Arthur, Ford and Harker Ovals along with Johnson Park, Harry Edwards Oval and Lewis Oval, so there will be little to no impacts to current users of the site. The community has raised concern for the nearby schools and lack of green space, however both schools already have internal green space and can if required use the council identified green spaces and parks. More significantly the nearby schools who also periodically use the current stadium will have more direct access to the new stadium and with the increase in courts, it will provide for more schools in the area, being especially beneficial for adverse weather days.

Traffic movements in and out of the proposed planning site will have similar street movements as current sporting users have with little increase in traffic volume movements. There are several access/egress roads to facilitate vehicular movements depending on directions of travel.

Yes, it would have been advantageous to have the new indoor sports and basketball stadium built in the Hunter Sports Precinct (HSP), but that is unable to be accommodated. The Planning Proposal as submitted is adjacent to the HSP which is situated in the centre of Newcastle City and clearly identified for both local and visitors alike.

The current stadium has not held a national basketball event since 2008 and 2009, (The Australian National Schools Championships) due to the governing state and national bodies declaring the venue not fit for purpose, in only having 2 full size courts. These last two events brought in excess of $3.8M economic benefit to the city in accommodation, meals and other tourist spending, this would equate today to well over $6M for similar events being conducted on the new site if this planning proposal is approved. Other State and National indoor sporting events could also be held see potentially 4-8 major events conducted each year over either a week or weekends, potentially generating upwards of $30M economic benefit.

Basketball is the second most popular sport in Australia and is fast growing to being one of the top 4 outright sports played in Australia. Newcastle needs a new stadium, one that has capacity to cater for current numbers and allow further growth. The current site is used as an outdoor sports arena, so the use is not changing. The site will be enhanced and actually provide additional on site parking, reducing the current parking and traffic impacts.

The venue is an indoor venue, which will have a significant reduction in sporting activity noise. The venue will be able to cater for a number of other indoor sports not currently able to be played or hosted, providing for greater community participation rate.

This planning submission will if approved on the proposed site, increase employment at the new venue, allow Newcastle City Council to divert current Park and Oval resources to other city Green Spaces, improving other facilities and increasing the current utilisation for other areas of the city.

There are significantly more positives for this Planning Submission to be approved for better utilisation of the proposed site, reducing the parking impacts, reducing the noise emissions with a state of the art indoor sports facility and increasing the participation of Indoor Sports along with the outlined significant economic benefit increases for the City of Newcastle.

The proposal is detrimental to the community as the location is quite wrong. The impacts of this are:
1. the local public school would lose access to a valued facility - the existing open sports fields
2. the flood risk in this flood-prone area would be exacerbated as rain is currently absorbed by the grass which the development would concrete over. This is not in line with good urban design principles
3. parking is already a huge issue for people attending matches at the football stadium opposite. This development would exacerbate the parking and traffic issues for sports fans, as well as local residents
This may well be a needed facility but this is not the right site for it

The proposed site for this is totally wrong. The green space is so well used by the school, residents and sporting groups. Sporting groups will be forced to other suburbs, which will affect family life
When the Knights play at home, or if there is a hockey game, as well as local sports, local residents cannot park, often driveways are blocked by cars parked across them, or so close to the drive its impossible to get in or out. You can not visit friends and relatives who live close. So to have a basketball stadium there will be a continuous nightmare, every day for the residents. We cannot visit our family who live close to the proposed site on game days. The local traffic is unbearable with road closures and cars and people. Where I live is impacted by the main road becoming so busy, it makes it impossible to go anywhere on busy days, not even using back streets. The impact on having a large basketball stadium will impact the area on a daily basis. There are plans for 20,000 houses in Broadmeadow, so with all the extra residents in the next suburb, then added to everything else, the area will totally crazy, busy and over-run. The people who live closest to the proposed new stadium will have to look at a very large monstrosity, destroying the area. This will create not only traffic, but noise of cars and people coming and going. If there is paid parking, people will prefer to park across someones driveway, or cram into small roads as close as possible to the stadium. I think the figures provided for visitors/cars is grossly underestimated. This area is prone to flooding. During the 2007 floods Lambton Road was even cut off due to flooding. A large building on the green space will make this problem a lot worse.
The biggest problems are
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposal leads to the loss of green spaces, trees, and native species that are vital for the local ecosystem.
The development would also remove a playing area that is well utilised by local residents and students, directly affecting recreational and educational activities.
TRAFFIC AND NOISE
Traffic congestion is anticipated to surge along Turton, Young, Wallarah and Monash Roads, creating risks and lowering the quality of life for residents, also impacting Lambton Road residents and residents from many other roads in the area
Excessive noise levels, both from inside and outside the HISC, particularly due to increased pedestrian movements, cars, bikes and yahooing, plus bouncing balls to their vehicles, pose a serious disturbance to the local community.
LIGHTING AND PARKING
Parking availability in surrounding streets will become increasingly strained, leading to potential issues with accessibility for residents, and emergency vehicles.
The proposed 24/7 lighting setup will disturb the nighttime environment, contributing to light pollution and affecting quality of life for local residents.
IMPACT ON LAMBTON HIGH SCHOOL
Students at Lambton High will experience continuous disruptions due to construction and later noise from a basketball stadium activities.
FLOODING RISKS
The area is prone to flooding, which the proposed construction could exacerbate, resulting in potential safety and infrastructure concerns.
WHAT ABOUT EMERGENCY VEHICLES TRYING TO ACCESS THE HOMES NEARBY???

I think a new basketball stadium is needed, just NOT at the proposed site in New Lambton.

The location for the proposed HISC is unsuitable, in terms of traffic, parking and flooding concerns. It removes valuable open space from the community, including Lambton High, at a time when public education is severely underfunded and undervalued.

Newcastle Basketball Association does not have adequate funds for the proposed HISC. If construction proceeds, it will inevitably become a drain on public finances generally, and potentially on rate payers.

As a local resident, with grandchildren at Lambton High, I strongly object to this proposed project.

The construction of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre would not only benefit the residents of the Hunter Region, but it would also benefit basketball players from around the state and country. The lack of suitable facilities to host major national and international events in NSW means that our members miss out on the opportunity to compete in local venues, and only adds to the cost of playing the sport. The presence of this type of venue in the state will open up so many opportunities for visitors to come to your region and contribute to your local economy

I believe the oval/green space is important for the area and for the high school.
If the project goes ahead how will it effect the school use of the oval, has an alternative been found?
Too many schools these days do not grass access to a big grass area.

Subject: Support for the Hunter Indoor Stadium as a Parent of a Junior Basketball Player

I am writing to express my strong support for the Hunter Indoor Stadium project as a parent of a junior basketball player. This facility represents a crucial investment in our community and in the development of local sports, especially for young athletes in the Hunter region.

As a parent, I have witnessed firsthand the tremendous benefits that sports like basketball provide to young people. Beyond physical health, participation in organised sports promotes discipline, teamwork, and resilience, qualities that are essential to a young person’s development. However, the current facilities in our region are struggling to keep up with the growing interest in basketball. Courts are often overbooked, and there are limited opportunities for additional training and tournaments, which restricts our young athletes’ ability to thrive and advance in the sport.

The Hunter Indoor Stadium would provide much-needed additional space for training and competition. It would enable more children and teens to play basketball in a well-equipped, modern facility close to home. With expanded facilities, our region would also be able to host larger tournaments and attract teams from across the state, providing further opportunities for local players to gain exposure and experience at higher levels of competition.

Investing in this stadium is an investment in our community’s youth and in the future of local sports. I urge the NSW government to support the development of the Hunter Indoor Stadium. This project promises to strengthen our community, improve our children’s well-being, and inspire a new generation of athletes.

Thank you for considering this important initiative.

I object to this project mostly due to its location! I believe the traffic surrounding this location is congested already when McDonald Jones Stadium is in use. During peak hour on any given day, the traffic is also congested.
I am also concerned that Lambton High School will lose some of the playing fields they have utilised for quite some time.
The Basketball Stadium may need updating or relocating, but the proposed area is definitely not the space it needs.
There’s a reason why this development has been knocked back in other areas! Please do not make Lambton suffer the consequences!
Please take the locals opinions into consideration.

Basketball is quite possibly the biggest sport in Newcastle. These kids and their supporters need a new stadium and this is the right spot for that stadium. Please make the right decision on this important issue.

I would love the sports fields to remain as my daughter's will be attending high school there in a few years time and losing this area will impact the high school dramatically. There is not enough parking already in this area to encourage more cars would be seriously ridiculous.
Please do not allow this to go ahead.

The current stadium at Broadmeadow is not fit for purpose, and no longer meets the requirements for the growing sport of Basketball. Not all courts are the correct size, and court availability is a real issue when the current stadium is used for school sport, dance, pickle ball etc.
The current stadium falls below standard for accessibility, having dedicated spaces for people with disabilities is essential now to ensure community engagement at all levels.
Having a new Stadium to support the Community will provide a huge economic benefit in the long term as Newcastle will be able to attract National events ti the region.
I remember playing in the stadium in the 1990s , the only thing that has changed since then was a coat of paint!

I am a woman who has played basketball for over 20 years. I now have three children who play and ref basketball in the same stadium. It baffles me that they are playing in a stadium that was already worn out when I first started playing basketball. It frustrates me that my child with Cerebral Palsy can’t access the stadium as it is. I’m assuming that we all agree that we need a new stadium.

As for the new plans? I think they’re the best we have. The land in question is rarely used because of flooding. Keeping it in the same suburb makes sense for all those kids who rely on public transport to get to their games and to their work. Having it adjacent and opposite other sports facilities with large parking spaces is incredibly helpful for all the sports facilities. Having road access off multi lanes makes sense and won’t impeded traffic flow as much. And of course, having a stadium to go watch our Falcons play that my daughter can actually access in her wheelchair on game day will be a godsend.

There will never be a perfect place for a giant multi use sports facility, but this location and design works on many levels. My only frustration is that it hasn’t been built already.

Thank you.

This project needs to occur, current facilities are below standard. The location is ideal for the basketball community. There is opportunity for numerous local schools and other sporting groups to use this as there base.

There is the potential for this to be a self funded stadium that is able to host major youth events that currently Newcastle would not even be considered.

The location is right for the sport with minimal impact to the local residents.

I am supportive of improvement of hunter indoor sports centre, with conditions that are not met nor addressed in this proposal.

The value of outdoor sport and recreation in this day and age should not be undervalued. Any proposed development should not be happening at the expense of school children and access to sport and recreation open space. Access to outdoor open space is valuable for positive effects on physical and mental health.

The proposal is not clear on the future for the existing hunter indoor sports centre site that will be no longer utilised with the new proposal. This land should remain and be repurposed as a public space. NCC have proven they can not be trusted to see the land put to use in a manner that will bring value to the community as a public space, it will likely be developed for residential or commercial gain.

Efforts may be better placed developing pre existing facilities that are in the Newcastle area but may fall out of the NCC LGA.

The city of Newcastle deserves a world class facility like this. Along with the thousands of men, women and children that use the current basketball stadium, this facility will attract international athletes across a huge variety of sports. While any location chosen for the development will likely affect somebody, the proposed ovals location in Broadmeadow is ideal as this vicinity is becoming a world class sporting precinct.
With the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032, this facility could become a training centre for any or multiple teams. The recently upgraded Newcastle Airport is only a 1hr20 min flight to Brisbane. This facility will be a major drawcard for this city.
With a growing number of residents and infrastructure in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie LGA’s we certainly deserve this facility now more than ever.

I do not support the proposal. The venue is currently a heavily used and important green space. It is used by the school where two of my children attend.
In addition the proposal does not consider the already challenging issue of parking and high traffic in the local streets. The proximity of the stadium, hockey fields and wests already has a significant impact on parking. Lambton is also used by many as a short cut between major roads.