Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)

These facilities are desperately needed. The current stadium is dated and the demand for basketball is high. As the second largest city in NSW, Newcastle deserves a basketball stadium that is not an embarrassment. Approval of this project should not be delayed any further.

I am writing to express my wholehearted support for the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) SSDA development. Our community has long needed a modern, inclusive indoor sports facility that meets the growing demands of our children and families—and this project is a timely and visionary step forward.

The current stadium, while historically significant, is no longer fit for purpose. It struggles to meet today’s safety, accessibility, and capacity needs. My own children have often had games postponed or cancelled due to weather or court availability, and I’ve seen the disappointment firsthand. A new facility would ensure that our kids can stay active and engaged in sport year-round, regardless of rain, heat, or seasonal limitations.

The HISC development promises more than just a basketball stadium—it will be a cornerstone for indoor sports across the region. With multi-purpose courts supporting basketball, volleyball, futsal, netball, pickleball, tennis and more, this venue will provide opportunities for athletes of all ages and abilities to stay involved in sport. From social competitions to elite training, the flexibility and scale of the centre will allow it to serve a broad spectrum of the community.

Perhaps most importantly, this expansion will address one of the biggest issues facing junior sports today: lack of space. Too many young athletes are being turned away due to limited court availability. This new facility would drastically increase participation capacity, meaning more kids can play, learn teamwork, and develop confidence in a safe, supervised environment.

The benefits of this project extend well beyond sport. It’s about building community resilience, supporting youth engagement, promoting physical and mental health, and creating a shared space where people from all backgrounds can connect. The centre will also strengthen pathways for talented local athletes and provide a venue that welcomes everyone—regardless of age, gender, ability, or background.

This is more than an infrastructure upgrade; it’s an investment in the future of Newcastle. I urge decision-makers to support the HISC development, not just for the athletes of today, but for the generations of healthy, connected, and inspired young people to come.

Huge sums of public money are spent on stadia for afl & nrl games that may only be used every couple of weeks, then not used in the off season. afl is only played in australia, nrl in about five countries, basketball is played worldwide & is booming in this country. Basketball stadia are in use seven days a week, morning till night & there is a clear pathway for boys and girls to play the game professionally in Australia & the USA. It is a very small investment to be made for basketball playing people compared to what is handed out to afl & nrl players. So I support the project!

It is long over due that Newcastle have an indoor sport fascility that is safe, water tight and large enough to provide one of the state's largest playing groups access to courts.
The current fascility is none of the above.
The location will never be perfect, someone will be unhappy- the current plan is the best given the options.

please see attached pdf

Please find attached my 2nd round strong objection to the proposed HISC.

I don’t agree with the choice of site for the new basketball stadium. It is going to create terrible traffic congestion. More accidents. The roads are already quite congested now. I do not go anywhere when the knights games are on as I can’t easily access my driveway. I have witnessed a few frightening car accidents near Hobart Road and Wallarah Road and it is worse on game day. I don’t feel safe walking with my child anywhere near that corner and I know that the stadium being built on the suggested ovals is going to create more traffic trying to avoid the traffic on Turton Road.
Another oversight is the local football that gets played on the weekends at Harker Oval. The local team Wests has many supporters and the surrounding streets are filled with the cars all day long . The area cannot take anymore sporting stadiums that bring multitudes of cars into the area.
I already struggle with access to the driveway and some people seem to think it’s ok to park edging into the driveway.
Also as someone who is “on call” at a local hospital and is needed to get to work in a specific timeframe, I have concerns about the excessive traffic that will hinder my ability to carry out my work obligations.
Another concern is my partner is a retained fire fighter and must get to the fire station as quickly as possible. As the fire station is close by to the proposed stadium I have severe concerns about the access for the retained fire fighters trying to get to the station. The extra traffic and extra cars that will have to park in the local streets worry me that the fire trucks will be disadvantaged and there will be a delay in getting to an emergency.
I am so disappointed that the people in this area have not had any of their concerns listened to and feel that nothing has been addressed to truly look into the outcome of putting the stadium there.

The decision to even suggest this location for this complex is appalling and extremely questionable. Lambton High School was built adjacent to these sporting fields with the understanding that they would be allowed to use them for recess and sporting activities. The fields have also become the schools Emergency Evacuation Assembly Point.
There is a proposal to develop an additional 30,000 dwellings in the next suburb of Broadmeadow. Many children from these dwellings will be looking to attend Lambton High School; making these fields even more important. This fact alone should stop this project in its tracks.
Add to this projected population increase in the area the NSW Governments very own policies:
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-06/public-open-space-strategy-for-nsw.pdf
and
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-10/framework-valuing-green-infrastructure-public-spaces.pdf
This proposal makes a mockery of these documents. They state that a communities mental health is benefited from inner city green space. This space is all of that and more. Inner city green space is precious.
Many sports, mainly soccer and cricket use these three fields for training and for games. They are heavily utilised. There has been a suggestion that these users should move to locations such as Beresfield — 30 minutes away. A truly selfish suggestion. Once again the proposed increase in dwellings in nearby Broadmeadow will put even greater pressure on local sporting clubs and field availabilities in the area. To destroy fields already used for sports is a self defeating exercise. It does not make any sense at all.
The size of this proposal and its proposed operating hours is going to create a horrendous traffic situation. They have confessed that traffic accessing the complex will be required to do “rat runs” through backstreets. They have admitted that the overflow parking is going to be in the surrounding narrow suburban streets. There will be constant traffic congestion every single evening as users attempt to find a park near the stadium. Now add into that mix the fact that whenever there is an event at the Football Stadium, which is located directly across the road, the rat run back streets are blocked off, there is no parking within kilometres of the stadium and there are pedestrians everywhere, you will be faced with traffic chaos.
Residents will be subjected to a huge loss of amenity.
The infrastructure to build a second large stadium in this location does not exist. It is a crazy idea by a desperate Newcastle Basketball Association. This is not a sensible place to build this stadium. The NSW Government needs to be more forthcoming with funding to help the NBA buy land in a sensible location.

Please see attached letter dated 16 September 2025.

The impact on the environment and surrounding communities have not been taken into account. Carpark ing would be non existent for the local residents and impact on their day to day lives even considered. Take it to an industrial area with no residential areas. Cars coming and going all day and night long. Where it all ready resides is the best place for it with surrounding oval’s, the Police boys club and oval could be used as will as the existing stadium to be rebuilt. It’s has transport at its door step.

Not sure why another proposal has been put through for development of stadium at the same site.. Nothing has changed.. except moving something 3 meters , increasing height and no resolution to the parking and flooding in Monash Rd, Gloucester ave, Duke st , marina Ave and nearby streets. Where is our Lord Mayor..??? he voiced his criticism towards this development .

I would love to see the use of the park being used for the Sports Stadium. Newcastle must have a Basketball stadium that can hold requirements for NBL and NNL. This must happen to see Newcastle keep up with Major city needs.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing as a local resident, parent and basketball player, to strongly and wholeheartedly support the development of the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre in Newcastle.

Basketball is booming in our region, and has been for years. Participation is growing across all levels, from juniors to adults, and even semi-professional leagues. However, our current indoor facility (of which there is only one) is outdated and far from keeping up with demand.

As someone who plays basketball myself, and has two children in the sport year round, I see the issues clearly.
* Too few courts: it's increasingly difficult, at times impossible, to access training opportunities. We often need to go into the community or private homes to just access a basketball hoop. As well, games are having to be scheduled so late to meet demand, with some games finishing after 9pm for children, and after 10pm for adults. High demand is also limiting the number of teams for competitions.
* Poor quality venue: games are often cancelled in rain due to leaks from the roof, walls and flooring, despite this being an indoor facility. Parts of the venue are patched with plywood, and at times pieces of decaying insulation fall from the roof. During warmer months, the tin shed stadium becomes sweltering and oppressive.
* Overcrowding and limited access: the car park is crumbing and too small, with insufficient and unsafe lighting. There is also limited seating and space for spectators around the courts.

As a family, we also attend semi-professional league games, and to be honest, the current venue is an embarrassment for visiting teams and spectators. It is outdated and simply not fit for this standard of competition. Newcastle deserves a facility that reflects the professionalism and passion of its sporting community.

The proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre is not only a game changer; it is an absolute necessity. It would support players of all levels, provide much needed infrastructure for local sport and serve as a true hub for the city, promoting health, inclusion, youth development and community pride.

Please support this much needed investment in our city's future.

Attached is my submission

Such a needed space for supporting the huge number of people who play and support basketball in the area. There is such a lack of space currently for this.

This project is unsuitable for this area due to the high impact it will have on the traffic flow, parking, and general livability for the area. The area has no proper drainage and we have seen the impact heavy rain has had on these ovals and surrounding areas, with the storm water drains full to overflowing during downpours, roads nearby flooded and impassable. This would be only exacerbated by this project.
I also object to the removal of green space in the area, for the local community, sporting groups and the school. I attended Lambton High, as did my extended family and children and these fields have been part of that experience. Having such a large sporting complex, immediately adjacent to the school will cause issues with extra noise, parking and blocking of sunlight to the school. I would expect that it is the right of every student to attend school in an environment relatively free from construction noise (over an extended period of time including exam periods) and the noise of constant sporting events being held right on the doorstep.
Currently we have traffic and parking issues from the regular sporting fixtures at the Stadium across the road, with residents having nowhere to park their own vehicles when returning home on a day when there is a match, fans blocking driveways and parking on grassy areas, not meant for parking. This would only be compounded by adding a venue as large as this operating over a long period of the day, EVERY day. Lambton is a lovely suburb to live in but this would turn it into a chaotic, high volume traffic area with reduced green space which is currently used by the community for recreation. I don't play basketball and neither do my dogs, but we regularly use that area for walking and enjoying the outdoors and so do many of my Neighbours.
This project is needed by some but building it in this location is totally and wholly unsuitable due to the lack of proper access for emergency vehicles, poor drainage on the site and other environmental concerns including loss of birdlife. It is unfair to the students and teachers at Lambton High and goes against the whole ethos of a livable city.

To keep up with other states please approve this development asap. Newcastle can only benefit from a development of this type - well overdue. The location is a perfect addition to the future development of the area as a sports and entertainment precinct.
New Lambton High Schools can surely manage a risk assessment and permission slip to walk to another oval in close proximity. The EIS suggests the basketball stadium will have a positive impact for the students of Lambton high as they will have paid access to the building. This is absolutely correct and Lambton High could replace some of their outdated 2 covered basketball courts and 2 outdoor ½ courts with their very own green space and grass like other schools do.
I am local and can only see benefit in improving the quality of sporting facilities available in our sport loving town. To locate it in our already inner city sports precinct makes absolute sense.

I objected to this project on a number of levels. Firstly the loss of green space is unacceptable. This area is marked for increased residential development and increased residential density. With backyards shrinking children will need somewhere that they can go to play. Increasing the population density of this area also means there will be an increased demand for grass roots sports such as soccer and cricket. Removing these grass roots playing fields in order to facilitate one sport is not serving the entire community. The local high school will also be adversely affected by the loss of green space and introduction of a large building overshadowing the school grounds. Alternate sites for the high schools’ use that have been proposed are either not suitable or actually not available. Just because it’s green and it’s close doesn’t mean that they’re allowed to use it.

Secondly, I oppose this project because of the traffic chaos it is going to increase. I say increase and not introduce because it is already traffic chaos between the McDonald Jones Stadium and the hockey stadium parking and driving in the local area is already a nightmare adding another sporting facilities into that is just going to make matters worse. Having so many major facilities so close together is just going to bring more cars and more people to the area. I feel the traffic studies that were conducted were highly inadequate. traffic should have been studied over more days and the one Knigh’s game that was included within the traffic study was done on a day. That attendance was incredibly poor due to the crazy weather that was happening at the time and thus did not reflect a typical Knight’s game attendance.

I also object to this project based on flooding issues in the area. Many homes in this area have sewage back up when there is a heavy rain. Hobart Road has ended up underwater more than once and increasing the burden on the local sewage system and waterways is not going to be helped by this development. A major upgrading needs to happen.

My daughter has played basketball at the current facilities. Everyone can see that Newcastle basketball need new courts. I feel the whole community would be better served if it wasn’t within such an area on top of so many major attractions.

I support the new stadium as a local and relative of Newcastle Basketball Association members.
I have viewed the proposed new stadium and see that it will be a great addition to Newcastle sporting facilities as well as local club-based competitions.
The existing stadium is 60+ years old, is too small, and it doesn't have enough seating. The current stadium roof leaks when it rains. I know that parents mop up wet floors to keep kids safe when participating in games. I also know they have had matches cancelled because of water on the court.
Basketball is a very popular sport, and I know that there are not enough courts at the current stadium. To see my nephews play I have to travel around to different venues. I have been told that the association has to pay to hire these courts, which diverts member fees from activities that encourage more people to participate and developing players.
Newcastle should have a stadium like this. It is accessible, contemporary, designed to international standards, sustainable and inclusive. I work with people with disabilities and know that the current stadium does not meet accessibility standards. I see that the new designs ensure everyone can participate, with accessible parking and entry points, lifts and facilities.
Sporting facilities that can host representative-level competitions bring money to town and benefit local business. When my family members travel to competitions in other towns they spend money with accommodation, hospitality and retail businesses.
My nephews spend all of their extra time at the stadium. They are learning to referee and coach as well as playing basketball. The new stadium will be safer for them to come and go - with bike path access, and safe drop off points. Its proximity to schools with small school grounds will make it an all-weather option for weekly sports afternoons.
It is relatively easy to get to - near bus routes, and a train station and will add to the existing sporting precinct comprising the McDonald Jones Stadium, the Newcastle International Hockey Centre, a Lambton Pool etc.

Good Morning
I propose this project that's been re-submitted for the following reasons:
- Walllarah ovals and field area proposed to be built over are used extensively for a number of sporting organisations such as New Lambton Football Club even when my team trained on Wallarah Oval 20 years ago in 200 we could only use half of
Wallarah Oval even though it was our home oval and we played matches there) . There are also unofficial games of touch,cricket , evening picnics/ groups of community listening to concerts at sports ground. In addition, the large Lambton High uses for sports, lunchtime/ recreation times and PDHPE Physical Education classes.
- Walllarah ovals and field area become have a storm water drain alongside --- flooding issues with the nearby residential houses has occurred previously - this will make far worse
- the venue proposed with seating capacity of "2500" - there is not enough parking spaces to accommodate
- currently with football games at Sports stadium across road at Turton Rd - roadsare closed off the morning off at young rd and police deployed to manage traffic & pedestrians and illegal parking
- large events at at Sports stadium across road at Turton Rd are Not currently co-ordinated with the ONLY Hockey Complex -- the car parks are not available to each other sports' attendees either
- furthermore following above point -- the safety aspect in case of emergency to evacuate attendees and players or serious injury/ accident to a player at the proposed HISC centre ( or other facilities) --- to get access to medical/ hospital
- the reduced green space for the "Broadmeadow Soace Strategy" for 20,000 homes / 313 ha abutting this area ......