Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)

1. The proposed HISC is designed specifically for basketball and will not cater for other sports globally as claimed, and has not specified the costs that will be levied to the limited users, such as badminton, Lambton High School, etc, for using such a facility
2. This proposed behemoth will be literally imposed on Neighbours' doorsteps, along with crowd and parking issues, and especially noise issued related to the intended usage, considering they already tolerate such issues with the hockey centre and McDonald Jones Stadium activities affecting property values and quality of living
3. Existing users being Lambton Jaffas soccer club and local Cricket clubs will lose their training and playing facilities at Blackley and Wallarah Ovals
4. The general public are extensive users of Blackely and Wallarah Ovals for walking, exercise, picnicking, dog walking, cycling and many other activities. Considering that they are the actual owners of these community facilities, along with the other people of NSW, they should be offered much more consideration in this matter. Newcastle Basketball do not have any priority to rights to this land or this location, but seek to take it from the community of Newcastle.
5. The adjacent Lambton High School with it's approximate 1,130 students are regular users of Blackley and Wallarah Ovals as part of their curriculum and school activities. Access to a neighbouring facilities such as Blackely and Wallarah Ovals is a valuable resource to student learning and participation. Given that the ovals are adjacent to the high school and that not travelling or transport to another location is a factor that must be considered.
6. If the HISC is allowed to be constructed it will exacerbate the flooding problems in this and downstream suburbs. According to plans published by Newcastle Basketball approx 90% or greater of the proposed land area will be hard surface (metal roofing, bitumen carpark, pathways, etc.). This will result in massive runoff of stormwater during serious to extreme weather events. The site happens to be at the junction of stormwater runoff generated by the catchments of Charlestown/Kotara and New Lambton Heights/Lambton. Blackley and Wallarah Ovals serve to act as flood water absorbtion and retention areas during heavy rain and extreme weather events. The massive runoff created by the proposed HISC will directly affect flooding, and homes, in the immediate area bounded by Turton Road, Lambton Road and Griffiths Road. This increased flow of flood water will also then move on downstream to massively impact on homes, businesses and properties in the suburbs of New Lambton, Broadmeadow, Hamilton, Hamilton North, Tighes Hill, Wickham and Maryville. Who will be liable for civil claims in future weather events if homes and properties in these areas become uninsurable? Not Newcastle Basketball I would suggest, but rather the taxpayers of NSW. The Newcastle Basketball proposal dose not address this critical on-going issue.
7. Blackley and Wallarah Ovals are green space areas which are vital to the health of major cities and their residents. Blackley and Wallarah Ovals form part of a green corridor that stretches westward from Hamilton, making Newcastle a more livable city. Once lost it is gone for good. It is a valuable resource that should not be taken away or monopolised by one sporting club operating for their own purpose. Blackley and Wallarah Ovals are valuable community facilities as well as much valued resources.
Conclusion: I am not against a new basketball stadium. It would be a valuable resource for Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley. The loss of two valuable community assets such as Blackley and Wallarah Ovals is unacceptable and makes the cost of the proposed HISC too high. In another suitable location it would have the united support of Newcastle.
Blackley and Wallarah Ovals belong to the people of Newcastle. In consideration of all the circumstances outlined above, reject the proposed HISC unless it is more suitably located, perhaps closer to the M1 Motorway as many of the users of such a facility will be travelling from other areas.
R Driver

I am opposed to the proposed development of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre at Wallarah and Blackley Ovals at New Lambton. There is already a facility in Broadmeadow with adequate space for further development, if required. The location of the proposed development is highly unsuitable for the following reasons:
1. It is located in a flood-prone area adjacent to the old Newcastle airfield which was regularly subjected to flooding until the drainage channels were installed;
2. The ovals are used regularly by local football and cricket clubs and a development on this site would represent a significant loss of amenity to the suburb of New Lambton;
3. The ovals are adjacent to Lambton High School which also makes significant use of these grounds for school sport and other activities;
4. I do not believe that the NSW Government, or its planning department, have carried out sufficient engagement with the community. In the EIS, it states that engagement has been carried out with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, NSW Office of Sport, Transport for NSW, Local MPs, Local Aboriginal Land Council, Newcastle City Council, Newcastle Basketball Association and Lambton High School. Nowhere does it state that engagement has been carried out with the local community directly affected and the sporting clubs that currently use the fields.

I remind the NSW Government that there is significant community opposition to this project, which led to the removal of a longstanding Labor mayor in favour of an independent mayor in the last council election. The feeling in this community is still very strong about this project. While Newcastle is home to a number "safe" Labor seats, the Government is reminded not test the resolve of the community to let the Government know when it feels that it has not been listened to.

Yours faithfully
James Beckwith

My children play basketball and the deteriorating state of the current Newcastle Basketball stadium impacts their ability to play and for Newcastle to host tournaments / NBL/ WNBL events to the standard expected of these events. In recent years the stadium has had severe leaking during rain events which has resulted in cancelled games due to the unsafe nature of the courts and it has also had asbestos sheets collapse at the front door unexpectedly while people were using the venue.
During summer it is stiflingly hot with poor ventilation which impacts both athletes and spectators. This not only makes it unpleasant to watch sport but increases the risk of heat related stress for athletes.
The lack of space around several courts mean athletes run risks of being injured because the walls and pillars are very close to the edge of the courts. It also means that athletes are training on courts that aren't the competition size they will play on, limiting their success at other stadiums.
There are increasing numbers of kids who want to play basketball, currently there are kids and teams being turned away because there are not enough courts to accommodate them. This is at a time where children have higher levels of obesity and mental health concerns due to increases in screen and social media usage, having enough space for the kids to play would be a long term positive impact for the children of Newcastle and the Hunter region.
Finally, the design and location of the new stadium would be an asset to the area, the current fields are used inconsistently because the drainage is poor and wet winters mean this area goes unused (or minimally used). The proximity to MacDonald Jones stadium addresses the issues of parking when tournaments are run, allowing overflow to be easily accommodated. It is important to keep a sport like basketball easy to access in Newcastle, so this central location makes it easy for everyone to access no matter what part of Newcastle and surrounds they are coming from.

Please refer to attached submission.

see attached pdf

I am currently a student at Lambton High School and, along with the other 1200 students, use this green space multiple times a week for school PE, sport and wellbeing activities. I am worried that we will no longer be able to use these fields and how that will impact my health and wellbeing. I am also concerned about the noise and disruption during construction, including my safety walking to and from school with construction vehicles and road blockages. Finally, I am a member of the local soccer club. Loss of these fields will impact where, when and if I will be able to play.

Proposed Basketball Stadium. We are not opposed to a stadium it is an admirable idea. It just needs to be in a suitable position with ample off street parking and not taking away our green space. To quote Sonia Hornery in The Local this month "It turns out that Newcastle Basketball Association are $50 to $60 million dollars short of what will be needed to build the complex as it has been presented.
School. The school uses the ovals every day. children practice soccer, footy, cricket after school in season and play every weekend on these ovals. Plus there are galas from time to time both weekdays and weekends.
Traffic. It is a 50KPH zone with a 40KPH zone for school along Monash Road. There is a large flow of traffic in peak times and few take notice of these zones. Extra traffic would exacerbate the problem.
Walking track. Many people use the walking track for walking riding dog walking as it a pleasant place to enjoy the fresh air away from the traffic of the main roads.
Parking. When there is sport on the ovals the car spaces are full along Monash Road with children milling about everywhere. it is dangerous now without the added traffic the stadium would bring.
We live in Henderson Street and when there are events on at the ISC and the Hockey fields we have to put our cars on to the street early in the day to allow our visitors, who are elderly and find walking difficult, to park in our carport. Our street is very narrow and the cars cruising around looking for parks are less than careful. We deal with it because the ISC doesn't operate every day but we understand the basketball stadium would. It is a nightmare which the basketball stadium would make worse.
Flooding. We have had two floods into the local streets and one drain overflow across Monash Road in the fifty years we have lived here. This is in what the council call "a once in 100 year flood event". The green space of the ovals helps to soak up some of the downpours. Almost all of the houses in Henderson Street and the Streets running off Monash Road were inundated in the June 2007 storm - ours to a level of 20cm. This was enough to ruin everything and anything touching the floor. Our insurance premiums are horrific and we are too old to deal with that anxiety again.

Everyone supports a new basketball stadium for Newcastle, but it needs to be in the right location and this site is not it.

All of the arguments put forward by the supporters of this development are about the need for a new stadium and how they need to get out of their current stadium by 2028. No one disputes this, however, the local residents, community and school should not have to pay the price for Newcastle Basketball's lack of future planning, and for Newcastle Basketball choosing to spend money on reports and planning for a site before they consulted with the people and organisations it will affect the most (noting that they still haven't made any real attempt to engage with local residents). Newcastle Basketball have not put forward any convincing reasons as to why this site specifically is appropriate, only that they want a new stadium, they want it now, and they've spent some money on planning, so they should get it.

This site and surrounding homes have substantial flooding issues, is used as the green space area for the adjacent school and is bordered by very narrow streets that already struggle to cope with the ad hoc influxes of crowds by nearby existing facilities. When looking at a map of the area, it may appear to make sense to have a gigantic basketball stadium in this area, however anyone who has actually visited the surrounding streets would see that it is inconceivable to think that it is a good idea for the residents to have to deal with the significant impact that upwards of 22,000 additional visitors every single week will bring.

There are also many unanswered questions regarding this development - what will the money raised from the sale of the site of the current stadium to developers be used for? And why are the proceeds not being used to purchase alternative land in an appropriate location so that Newcastle Basketball are not forced to steal public green space away from the community, the school and other sporting codes? Why have the NSW Government continually stated that there is no room for a Basketball Stadium in the soon be built Broadmeadow Sporting precinct nearby, but have not provided an explanation as to why not?

Let's get a stadium built for Newcastle Basketball, but let's help them find a suitable site so that their gain does not come at significant expense to local residents, local school students, the other sports that will be displaced, and the general community.

I support the project

I support a new indoor sports centre in Newcastle. It would boost the local economy, attract tourism, support youth development, and promote healthy lifestyles. The location would establish Broadmeadow as a vibrant sports hub.

I strongly oppose the development of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre in the proposed location on the ovals at New Lambton for the following reasons;
Lack of Parking & Traffic Congestion

I am an avid hockey player and train and play at the adjacent hockey fields. This precinct is very busy, particularly when an event is held at the McDonald Jones stadium. I usually have trouble parking on site and try and park in the local streets – sometimes the nearest available parking spot is up to one kilometre away!

There are often traffic snarls in the area and pedestrians walk on the streets due to inadequate footpaths – there is a serious risk to public safety if further traffic was introduced to the area.

Destruction of Green Space
It is appalling that this development will result in the destruction of valuable community green space. These ovals are significant assets of the community – they are used by the local high school, sporting groups, local families & other community members. The ovals contribute to the aesthetic of the area, help in times of local flooding & provide habitat for birdlife.
Newcastle is a growing city and community green space is a prized commodity that can be used by all community members as well as providing abundant environmental benefits that cannot be ignored in times of adverse climatic changes.

Conclusion
I strongly oppose the development of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre in the proposed location and urge you to consider more suitable sites.

The progression of this project is critical for the basketball community, which is growing at a significant rate. The proposed location is ideal and within an existing sporting precinct with access to public transport. Newcastle desperately needs this facility. This sport provides enormous economic, health and wellbeing outcomes for the local community.

I strongly object to the development of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) at the proposed Monash / Wallarah Road Lambton site as the site is totally unsuitable for the following reasons;

1. Flooding
The site regularly floods after heavy downpours. Building a stadium on this site would be negligent as follows:
a. The EIS suggests that site management should cancel or postpone events if a relevant severe weather warning is issued by the BoM (EIS page 87). Spending such vast sums of money on a stadium on this site when it will not be an “all weather” venue seriously lacks merit.
b. The EIS refers to the need to instal bollards to prevent vehicles from being washed into Ker-rai Creek & other key drainage infrastructure (Appendix C, Risk & Mitigation Measures report, page 11 and Appendix CC Torrent Consulting report, page iii). I submit that this site is not suitable if such drastic measures are required.
c. The EIS states that this site poses a ‘medium’ threat to people/property in the event of a flood (Risk & Mitigation Measures report (appendix C, page 11). I submit that this risk rating is too high to be justified and confirms that this site is not suitable.

2. Loss of green open space
The ovals that will destroyed by this development are a much-loved community asset – used by a diverse range of people for sporting and recreation purposes, including students at Lambton High School.
An asset should not be destroyed to be replaced with, what many in the local community regard as a liability, and only available to a select sporting group.
This highly valued green space will even increase further in value as the population of the area grows.
This green space provides a sponge to alleviate flooding in times of high rainfall. Green space once destroyed is irretrievable and its loss will adversely add to the urban heat effect.

3. Traffic & Parking
There are already two (2) other major venues (McDonald Jones Stadium & Newcastle International Hockey Centre) across the road from this site. My husband plays hockey at the Hockey Centre and we regularly experience issues with both traffic & parking when we attend this venue. Building another major venue on this site will exacerbate existing traffic & parking problems that escalate when events are held at these venues simultaneously.
The Risk & Mitigation Measures report (appendix C, pages 2 & 3) states that the risk of vehicular accidents and injury arising from unsafe access to the proposed site is ‘medium’. This rating is too high as to justify building the stadium on this site.

Conclusion
I do not support this site for the basketball stadium as it seriously lacks merit.

The Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) is a key piece of infrastructure that Newcastle and the surrounding area require to support Indoor sport in the area. A number of Sports & their development is suffering greatly with the lack of quality venues. We are an extremely proud sporting region, the birthplace of the National Basketball League (NBL), a producer of high-quality athletes, officials and administrators. The region truly deserves a venue that the community can continue to create an environment of excellence, and environment of dreams and a facility were individuals of all ages come together.

The current Newcastle Basketball Stadium is 55 years old and no longer fit for purpose.
Our children are forced to play in a facility that floods and has a raft of safety issues. The stadium cannot meet the demands of the number of players requiring the use of external venues which prevents a whole other set of issues.
A new facility would allow a safer playing environment for all basketballers, from our preschoolers through to our seniors.

In addition, a new facility would open up opportunities for other groups that do not currently have somewhere to participate in their chosen activity. A huge international student population means there is a demand for a space to play badminton, which is currently not available. The new facility would be open to this group, providing an opportunity to support a minority population.

The vocal minority who object to this proposal have obviously not taken the time to read the submission as their concerns have been addressed. The proposal includes traffic management plans, flood management plans and support from other sporting associations who are impacted by the proposed development. There is not one argument raised that has not been addressed within the proposal.

The social and economic benefits of the proposed new stadium are enormous and given the detailed planning that negates any concerns, I sincerely hope this project is approved. The future of our town, our children and anyone participating in physical activity depends on having a facility to grow and thrive.

Refer to attached submission

Basketball continues to demonstrate strong growth as 1 of the leading sports in the Hunter region. This is a direct result of the inclusive culture, commitment of volunteers & great community spirit fostered by the Newcastle Basketball association. We have experienced this 1st hand for our school-aged children. Development programs held at the stadium have enabled them to build-on their skills year after year, grow in confidence & meet many other kids with similar interests.

Currently the number of teams entering social and club basketball competitions is so high, that facilities at Hunter Sports High and other school courts need to be used in addition to the Newcastle Basketball Stadium. Adult games can start at 9.20pm mid-week due to court availability. The demand for resources has already exceeded capacity. In 3 years’ time, the existing stadium will reach it’s end-of-use date. The impact to the community will be severe with significant health & wellbeing consequences if a new stadium is not ready for use by this time.

The new stadium has rightly been proposed to be located in Newcastle, close to transport & other facilities such as accommodation to appropriately service the local community & provide for visitors (when hosting competitions). Ongoing delays continue to add significant costs to this community project, putting it at risk of being unaffordable.

If there are further delays in commencing the new stadium build, there is a risk of NO stadium being available temporarily or permanently. This would be incredibly detrimental to the community, particularly the 6000+ school age & adult members who are dependent on this facility for their continued participation in basketball & the associated value it provides their families.
We strongly endorse the build of a new stadium. There is no other solution for players once the existing stadium closes. There must be a plan to fast-track the new stadium completion to ensure there is uninterrupted access to facilities by the community.

I am an avid Basketball player and this project means a lot to me and my friends. We need a world class basketball stadium in Newcastle, and this site ticks all of the boxes. Can the NSW Government please support this project and make it happen.

Please refer to the attached. We OBJECT to this development.

Currently the Newcastle Basketball Stadium supports thousands of members on a weekly basis with regularly scheduled games that, with the current size of the stadium will result in a maximum number of teams being registered and people missing out. The sport is rapidly growing and this issue will continue to worsen over the coming years. Furthermore, the current site is dilapidated, and is a risk to current members. The insulation is flaking off of the roof, on rainy nights there a multiple leaks on courts and more. The current stadium cannot support its members.

The proposed site is earmarked for a location that I believe is currently under-utilised space. The site is regularly empty, and would serve as an ideal space to support the thousands of people that currently utilise the Newcastle Basketball Stadium in Broadmeadow. The site is well placed in the heart of Newcastle and is already surrounded by other large sport infrastructure. Despite the loss of the green space, there are multiple nearby parks that are within walking distance so for the few people that use this space, there are multiple nearby options.