Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)

SUBMISSION AS ATTACHMENT.

The location is sensible close to exisiting sporting venues and an absolute necessity for Newcastle basketball moving forward and also for the community! Nimbys in lambton are to worried their leafy suburb will have to endure young new people in it

Basketball is one of the most sought after sports in Newcastle alone by all ages, this stadium is long overdue. Another site isn't available otherwise they would have submitted that. Please proceed at great speed. Thank you.

This is such a vital project to the community of Newcastle and the hunter that will provide engagement to tens of thousands of locals and visitors to the region and fill a big gap in the community/sporting infrastructure

I don't think we need what is in the proposal even as a person who played basketball as a kid I know that space won't be used to its full capacity and that the green space is a place as a kid i used to play in I think it is important to keep our green spaces because we are getting rid of all green spaces in Newcastle and making our city ugly it will look worse then it did when we had all the industry in the heart of Newcastle and I think money will be spent on something that will never get it back so it will just be a waste of taxpayers money

In our major cities the giving over of publicly accessible green open space for private purposes should only happen as a last resort, and when consideration of all reasonable alternatives has been exhausted. This becomes even more important as our inner cities become subject to all manner of closer-settlement and high-rise residential policies. In such situations green open spaces such as parks, reserves, and playing fields become the only available places for open-air active and passive recreation.
Wallarah and Blackley Ovals aren’t just playing fields: they are places for walking the dog, informal cricket and ball sports, and places that birds graze and small insects and other wildlife inhabit. But they are also playing fields for local sporting teams and the adjacent high school.
It also needs to be noted that the ovals border Lambton Ker-rai Creek, whose drainage capacity will inevitably be diminished by any building footprint and/or hard-surface construction. The prospect of serious flooding of the area will be exacerbated.
Until such time as all conceivable alternative sites in the Lower Hunter have been found to be non-feasible, it is necessary that this development be opposed.

I have a lot of concerns about this project and the chosen location.
Removal of multi-use sports ground/ovals for a single purpose facility.
Currently the ovals are used by multiple sports groups and the 1200 students of Lambton high, as well as the local community. I can not understand how removing these ovals from all these user groups for a Basketball complex makes any sense. Currently Lambton high use these ovals on a daily basis for PDHPE, elective subjects, lunch and recess breaks and it is their emergency evacuation point. The mitigation for this in the EIS is that the students can use the new sports facility – however, this is not useful for all their outdoor sports. The students don’t need more time inside, they need fresh air and grass. The EIS also suggests the students can use other local parks – this will require teachers to shuffle students down the road and to cross a road which raises issues of safety. In the event of an emergency , this would require moving 1200 students and staff away from the school and across the road which would result in chaos.
I am also yet to understand where the sporting clubs being displaced by this proposal are going to be reallocated and what will the impact of this will be on the current users of those ovals?

Lack of consultation
Living only 1.4km from the proposed site I would have expected to be consulted about such a significant development in my local area. The only way I have heard about this is via the media and Facebook. Having children that attend Lambton high and living in such close proximity this is not good enough.

Other impacts on Lambton high
I am concerned about the impact of construction noise on students who are trying to listen and learn. Students are already struggling with learning, mental health and other challenges that cause disruption to their learning. I note the mitigation for this is works will only occur between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday – I question how this is helpful as this is exactly the times students are at school?

Parking and traffic congestion
The area is already very busy with regular commuters. When there are events on at McDonald Jones stadium if becomes difficult to get in and out of the area. I am concerned about the impact on local streets when there are an extra 22,000 people per week as stated in the APP groups operational management report. I am aware on many occasions residents have been “parked in” and have had to call NSW police for assistance – this is a waste of police resources and an unreasonable expectation for residents to contend with. With this facility operation 7 days a week – 6am-11pm, I can expect this will occur more frequently.


Noise for local residents
I am concerned about the noise that the facility will generate with basketball patrons leaving until 11pm x 7 days a week. Usual behaviour is to talk while walking to cars, bounce a ball etc. I am very worried about the impact of the 2 outdoor half courts and outdoor gym and the hours people may congregate at these. They are directly opposite houses on Monash road and have not been assessed as part of the noise report, crime report or lighting report.

The cost of the proposal
I am very concerned about the full budget for the project being $90 million and the fact Newcastle basketball only have $25 million. Where will this extra funding come from? At a time when the government is in so much debt and unable to fund public hospitals, public education, housing etc why should this money be given to one sporting code?

For all of these reasons I do not agree with this proposal being built at the chosen site. I feel like the entire proposal is flawed and has been grossly dismissive of the local community and how negatively they will be impacted.

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the proposed location for the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre, particularly focusing on the potential traffic and parking issues that could arise from this plan.

As a daily commuter along Turton Road, I foresee significant traffic challenges. The proposed site’s access points, with left turns in and out, are likely to create serious traffic jams. The nearby traffic lights—one serving as a pedestrian crossing and another at Young Road—are already under strain. With numerous cars and coaches attempting to access the sports centre, I worry this will further disrupt the traffic flow. 20m North of the entry/exit is the entry/exit for a unit block housing 20 residents and 10m beyond that is a bus stop which is 10m from traffic lights.

The current traffic management plan allows for only two coach parking spots, which seems unrealistic. Observing the current stadium during events, such as school carnivals, reveals that more coaches often wait on the street for students. This contradicts the assessment by SECA Solutions, which states it would be rare for more than two coaches to be present.

Moreover, the anticipated increase in traffic on Turton Road will complicate matters for residents trying to turn onto Turton Road from Monash Road, leading to long queues and frustration. I am concerned that the impact on our community’s traffic flow has not been thoroughly evaluated. There has been no comprehensive assessment of the local street network, including Gloucester Ave, Duke St, Rex Ave, Marina Ave, Hitchcock Ave, and Henderson St, which are all in close proximity to the proposed site.

Given that there is direct access via a footbridge on Monash Road, it is likely that these nearby streets will experience significant parking overflow, especially for those unable to turn directly into the sports centre. This situation mirrors what we already experience during events at McDonald Jones Stadium, where local streets become fully parked hours before an event.

Additionally, I take issue with SECA Solutions’ traffic event management plan. The calculations for parking availability are overly optimistic. They cite 220 parking spots on-site, 900 at McDonald Jones Stadium, and 140 along Monash Road—totaling 1,260 spots—for up to 3,780 – 5000 attendees but this is misleading. Their assumption that each car carries 3-4 people is unrealistic, particularly for events where parents often only have time to collect their own children not others.

Furthermore, the 140 spots along Monash Road are not legally designated parking areas. They lack proper markings and are situated next to a drain, posing safety concerns. These spots should not be included in the overall parking assessment.

I strongly believe that we should prioritize alternative locations for the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre that won’t exacerbate traffic issues or strain our local roadways. The residents of this area already bear the burden of traffic from events at McDonald Jones Stadium on a regular basis; they should not be subjected to similar issues on a daily basis from 6 AM to 11 PM.

This location is inappropriate for a development of this size. The flood risk has not been adequately addressed, and it will add substantially to the already excessive traffic that occurs in this area, especially during peak hour. The traffic flows identified by Newcastle Basketball do not account for the traffic arriving/leaving at the same times (before games start & as games end).
As a member of the local sporting community, I understand the importance of maintaining our existing ovals for use by multiple sporting codes & the community. Newcastle Basketball should be assisted to fund an alternative site, purchased from the private sector, to build their stadium, rather than taking valuable green space and sporting ovals used by many sporting codes away from the community. The number of proposed parking spaces is also vastly inadequate for the size of the development.

I want to object to the proposed Hunter indoor sports centre for the following reasons:

Loss of green space: GREEN SPACE ONCE LOST CAN NOT BE REPLACED

The traffic and parking impacts: There is already not enough parking when major events are on. Where will all the basketball patrons and spectators park? The stated agreement with Venues NSW to park in McDonald Jones stadium is not good enough particularly as the car park is already in use by the John Hunter shuttle bus. I am also concerned that with in the Broadmeadow place strategy the car park will be rezoned for accommodation and shops so there will be no spots available. Roads in this area are easily blocked with extra traffic and the residential streets get parked out.

The cost: The Newcastle Basketball association were granted $25 million for the project. The budget report indicates the full cost of the build is $90 million. Where will this additional money come from? As a tax payer I am not in agreement with my taxes being spent on this when there are many competing services needing funding eg schools and hospitals.

The impact on Lambton high: The loss of these ovals will be very significant for the 1200 students of Lambton high. Where will they do all their outdoor sports? Where will they go for their lunch and recess breaks to get fresh air and green space? Where will they go in the event of an emergency given the ovals are their emergency evacuation point?

I sincerely believe this proposal is looking at the wrong site for all of the above reasons. Please reject this application on this site.

Please see attachment

The fields are an important green space not only for the local community as sporting fields, walking space and used for families to play sport, but also for the high school students. On any weekday you can see multiple groups of students using the fields for PE and during their break times. It is also used for evacuations, vitally important in an emergency situation. Without this space the school would have limited grass, if any, for the students to access. Not only is this a majorly important area for the school but also local sporting groups who use this space nearly every afternoon, and on weekends. Surely there are unused spaces, or other land, that can be found to build the new stadium complex on.
Once this green space and fields are gone, they can not be replaced. Why can’t the existing site be redeveloped? Please find a more suitable site.

I HAVE GREAT CONCERN WITH THE IMPACT ON THE LOCAL AREA IN REGARD TO PARKING. THE PROJECTED NUMBERS OF ATTENDANCE PROPOSED FACILITY WILL GREATLY OVERLOAD THE LOCAL AREA WITH VERY LITTLE PARKING ALLOWED IN THE PLAN.
THE ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC FLOWING ONTO THE ALREADY CONGESTED LOCAL ARTERIAL ROADS WOULD BE GRIDLOCK.
EVENTS AT THE NEARBY STADIUM ( FOOTBALL AND ENTERTAINMENT) ALREADY OVERLOAD THE PARKING IN THE AREA. EVENTS AT THE STADIUM ARE PLANNED TO INCREASE. WHEN THE EVENTS AT BOTH FACILITIES CLASH THE TRAFFIC WILL BE UNMANAGEABLE.
THE HIGH SCHOOL NEXT DOOR USE THE OVAL REGULARLY AS DOES TOUCH FOOTBALL AND SOCCER. THE LOCAL RESIDENTS USE THE AREA TO EXERCISE.
IT OFFER MUCH NEED OPEN GREEN SPACE. NOISE BUFFER AND A WATER CATCHMENT FOR THE LOCAL AREA WHICH IS PRONE TO FLOODING.
THERE ARE BETTER OPTIONS AVAILABLE. COORAGANG ISLAND OR THE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE WITH PARKING AND EXSISTING ROAD INFURSTRUCTER IN PLACE.

There are many things I object to about this project. My daughter lives in the area (and has done for 25 years) so I am writing this to support her concerns in addition to my own. I am very disappointed at the lack of consultation that has happened with the local residents, and I have watched my daughter become stressed and anxious during this time. Residents were left with no avenue but to advocate for themselves which can be seen in the attached photos of signs on houses.

Flooding issues
The area is a known flood zone. The ovals currently absorb water during heavy rain, helping prevent flooding in the residential areas. Covering them with concrete may exacerbate flooding risks and increase water management challenges. The known flood risks already complicate obtaining home insurance. My daughter’s house was inundated during the floods of 2007 requiring her and her family to be out of their home for 6 months while repairs were done. I know she; her children and other local residents are very fearful of this happening again. I am not sure what happened to the flood storage that was discussed early on in the process – it seems this has been omitted from the flood management report and instead rainwater tanks will be relied on. What happens when these become full? Where will the water go? I am particularly concerned about this statement in the flood management report “The DCP Management of Risk to Property condition C-7 requirement cannot be satisfied by the proposed development without impacting the retention of floodways and flood storage or having implications for off-site flood impacts, as this would require significant raising of the external surface levels throughout the proposed car park. Given this conflict between satisfying different aspects of the flood planning controls non-conformance with condition C-7 is considered the better option for overall flood risk management.”
I am also concerned that the flood management plan is for up to 2000 people to squeeze into the top floor with a floor space of 2000m2. In an emergency squeezing all these people together when there will likely be no power, no lights, no air conditioning will be extremely chaotic and add to people’s fear. This is the only contingency mentioned – what about a flood emergency at stage 1? I did not see any options for this? See photo of drain next to ovals

Loss of Green Space
I have often walked with my daughter and grandkids over to the ovals when I come to visit. I have watched my grandson play soccer there over the years. I am aware that access to green spaces plays a crucial role in reducing mental health conditions such as depression and stress. Losing this space would significantly impact the mental health and wellbeing of residents in the area. See photo of green space as it is now

Funding Issues
The disparity between the grant given by the Minister for sport ($25 million plus an extra $5 million) and the total estimated project cost ($90 million+) raises questions about financial viability and long-term sustainability. I am concerned that the ovals will be destroyed for an incomplete project. How will Newcastle basketball afford the upkeep of such a large facility? The current facility is in disrepair and has been for many years. I am concerned about ongoing upkeep were the extra funding to be granted.

Traffic and Parking Issues
The area becomes very congested, particularly during events at McDonald Jones Stadium, making it difficult for residents to navigate. My daughter has planned any events eg kids birthdays around the game day schedule of the Knights as she knows no one will be able to park at her home on these days. If it was only the odd football game she had to worry about, it would be manageable. In reality, it is now 25-28 games of football and soccer per year. McDonald Jones stadium, which has a capacity of 30,000, has a DA in for non-sporting events eg concerts to increase from 5 to 15 per year. The event management plan says big events at the HISC will be scheduled around other events. The operation plan reports there will be 500-800 attending Waratah League games – played weekly on a Saturday/Sunday afternoon from March-September and 1000-1700 attending NBL1 games every 3rd week between April to August. With 220 parking spots available how on earth will the area accommodate all of these cars? The traffic management plan reports there will be 900 available over spill car parks available at McDonald Jones stadium. This will not be available every second weekend when the Knights are playing. The mitigation for this is not viable at all. The residents will be highly impacted and the rating of the impact of this event as minor is a gross misrepresentation of the truth.
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Impact on Lambton High School
My grandsons went to Lambton high and I am aware the ovals are used daily for PE, recess and lunch and as the emergency evacuation zone for the 1200 students.
In terms of mitigation of the loss of these ovals, the suggestion is the impact on the students is low as they can walk to other ovals further down the road, but this would require risk assessments and permissions, adding burdens to teachers and potentially compromising student safety. The Socio-economic impact report assessed as the impact as positive on these students as they will have access to an amazing indoor facility. Lambton High already has adequate basketball facilities, what they need is green space for all the other grass sports eg soccer, football, t-ball, javelin. They need to be outside in the fresh air not locked in another building.
I have found many of the reports in this proposal to be flawed, dismissive of those most effected (local residents and Lambton high students) and I ask that the building of the HISC at this location be rejected.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED SUBMISSION

please see attached submission

I think a more appropriate area could be chosen. What about the old gas works area in Chatham rd Hamilton north. Where the Interchange should have been built .

I would like to make my objections to the Hunter indoor sports centre development for the following reasons:
Flooding: I am aware this area was heavily effected during the 2007 Pasha Bulker flood with many residencies being evacuated and flood damaged. The area is known to be flood prone. I know residents of this area have difficulty getting home insurance and when they can it is very costly. Early communications from Newcastle basketball were that they were aware of the flood risk and would be installing flood storage to help manage the possibility of flood inundation. I am unable to see any evidence of this in the flood report. What I did read in the flood report was they expect there may be some flooding in the car park and to avoid this, basketball patrons should consider parking in residential streets. Building a structure of this size in a land locked space I believe will cause more regular flooding than has been experienced in the past. This will directly impact local residents with possible damage to their homes. Putting a concrete slab over the 3 ovals, which currently absorb the water after big rain events will further increase the run off into the nearby drain, the roads and properties. The Broadmeadow place strategy has a flood map (see attached) that indicates that the ovals will become unsafe for people and vehicles and may result in structural damage to buildings in the event of a major inundation/weather event.
Traffic/parking: As noted above, the Flood management proposal suggests cars should park in the streets to avoid carpark flooding. The streets are already heavily utilized by local residents. The streets around the proposal are very narrow and when cars are parked on both sides of the road it becomes one way. Given the operational report indicates hours of opening are 6am-11pm x 7 days per week this will dramatically increase the number of cars in the local streets. While Newcastle basketball have said there is ample parking at the facility - 220 spots - I can not work out how the projected numbers of 500-800 per Waratah league game (every week) or 1000-1700 NBL1 games every three weeks fit into this equation. It is inevitable basketball patrons will park in the surrounding streets on a regular basis. I have spoken to representatives from NSW Ambulance and NSW Fire and rescue who have confirmed these narrow streets can not accommodate emergency vehicles which will result in residents being put at risk and denied emergency assistance if needed.
Loss of Lambton high emergency evacuation point: I am extremely concerned about the 1200 students of Lambton high and all of the staff should an emergency eg fire, flood, threat to lives occur and these ovals not be available as the emergency evacuation point. All other options for them to gather require crossing at least one road. In the event of an emergency this would create major stress and chaos on the students and staff as they disperse into residential streets. I am aware Lambton high school has a designated Autism class as well as a Special needs class. Extra support will be needed to assist these students and making this as easy as possible should be a priority.
I have found the official proposal to be inadequate and inaccurate. This is not the correct site for the proposed Hunter indoor sports centre and an alternative location should be sort

I’d like to voice my objection to the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre at Wallarah and Blakeley Ovals. It is one of the main reasons I voted for Dr Ross Kerridge for Lord Mayor who campaigned to protect the ovals. There must be a better site for a new stadium so we can keep our precious green spaces especially when they are so limited in the more inner city suburbs. I spoke to residents who live close to the ovals and they are afraid that the extra amount of cars that will inevitably park outside their homes will forever prevent them from being able to park there themselves if they have an extra car or to ever have visitors. They believe that this would lower the price of their properties. The current council needs to take heed from Ross , their Lord Mayor after all, and LISTEN to the PEOPLE of Newcastle. Thank you.

I’m extremely concerned about the impact that this major proposal will have on the New Lambton community. In particular, the local high school and the green space available for students, staff and the community
As an educator and local resident I am particularly concerned about the impact on the staff who will be unable to deliver the NSW curriculum/syllabus due to the lack of access to the ovals. Currently the 1200 students are using the ovals for PDHPE, all lunch and recess breaks, special days like colour runs, cross country and importantly, it is the school’s emergency evacuation point. By limiting access to this area you are increasing the burden on teachers workload due to staff having to coordinate classes, do extra duties off site, transporting sporting equipment – which increases paper work and administrative tasks. Teachers are already overloaded and struggling with burn out daily. Adding to their workload is overly concerning. Regarding the students having vital green space removed, I am concerned about the impacts on mental and physical health in a technology loaded society. Despite Newcastle Basketball reporting that the students will benefit from access to this stadium this is not needed as the school already have 2 covered basketball courts and 2x ½ basketball courts. The building of the project on the green space will result in all current options of sport played on grass being removed from the students.
Furthermore, the congested traffic presently when the football and major events are on result in the area becoming congested for long periods of time impacting travel times and ability to drive around the area freely. I am alarmed by the numbers stated in the EIS that 22,000 people will access this facility per week – so roughly 3000 a day. This will see traffic chaos around this area, not only in the immediate surrounding areas, but also in the adjoining suburbs as traffic navigates it way to the proposed stadium.
My biggest concern is the proposed expenditure for the full build. I was shocked to read the budget report and see the cost of $90 million when the grant given by the state government was $25 million. $4.1 of this which has already been spent on consultation. There are many other more pressing societal concerns in NSW eg the state of public health, public education, housing that these funds could be better spent on.
As a local resident I have not been consulted about this project. I have learnt about it from the local media reports only. For such a significant project concerning so many people I am frustrated the local community were ignored during the planning phase of this project.
As a final point we can not ignore that green space, once lost, is gone forever. My family and I currently like to walk our dogs on these ovals. Living in the inner city, access to green spaces like this are vital and I oppose any development on this site.