Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)

The current Newcastle basketball stadium requires replacement. Besides the facility requiring extensive upgrades to bring the facilities to current standards, the facilities are not adequate for the current demand, let alone the demand for the future.
Currently, teams are required to play and train at multiple venues are cross the Newcastle and lake Macquarie areas, as the current facilities do not meet the demand.
The current facilities do not provide adequate ventilation for such a facility, including the lack of ventilation for the bathrooms. The bathrooms have damaged plumbing, causing the facility to have an odor of sewerage.
The subject site for the new facility will enable the use of currently under utilized sports fields. These fields are used sporadically for junior soccer clubs to use when others are washed out, irregular cricket competitions.
An argument against the development is reduced use by the local high school, however this argument can be overcome by allowing access to the local high school which has previously had successful basketball teams.
The new facility will provide for the growing popularity of the sport which provides great health and fitness outcomes for all and will be used daily- not irregularly.

The development will also enable national and international competitions to be played at the area, brining great awareness of the sport as well as an influx of tourism benefits to the region.

Please approve this development and encourage the sport for all to enjoy.

Positive submission. I support this project

I strongly support the proposal to develop an indoor basketball and sports centre. This facility will provide valuable opportunities for health, fitness, and community connection, particularly for young people. It will also help encourage participation in grassroots sport, support local clubs, and create a safe, inclusive space for all members of the community to enjoy year-round.

I object to the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre at Wallarah and Blackley Ovals, New Lambton. While supporting indoor sports facilities, this location presents significant community impacts that contradict the claim of "no adverse environmental, social or economic impacts."

Key Objections
1. Educational Impact on Lambton High School
The ovals serve 1,200 students for PDHPE curriculum, recess/lunch activities, sporting events, and emergency evacuation. Proposed alternatives are inadequate:
Arthur Edden and Harker ovals are locked with no access agreements
Alternative sites require dangerous road crossings
Indoor access cannot replace outdoor green space benefits
Construction noise (7am-6pm) disrupts all school days, particularly affecting 8 special needs classes with noise-sensitive students
Flood risk increases from 0.1-0.2 m/s to 0.3-0.7 m/s in school's covered area

2. Traffic and Parking Problems
Basketball operations (4-9pm weekdays, 500 visitors/hour) coincide with peak commuter and school pickup times. Major concerns include:
No updated traffic assessment despite claims roads can cope
Overflow parking for 1,700 people directed to narrow residential streets (Monash Road, Gloucester Avenue, Marina Avenue)
Emergency vehicle access blocked when cars park both sides
Dangerous left-in/left-out access forces traffic through residential areas
Monash Road lacks footpaths, creating pedestrian safety risks
Transport NSW opposes boom gates, yet ticketing systems risk similar queuing issues

3. Financial Viability Concerns
Total cost exceeds $90 million with only $22 million available
$68 million funding gap with no secure pathway
Contradictory information about extending lease 10 years versus 2028 vacation requirement
Risk of years of construction disruption with uncertain completion
Stage one approach may leave community with incomplete facility

4. Community Impact Assessment
The proposal fails to demonstrate public benefit outweighs impacts:
Permanent loss of community green space used by 1,200 students daily
Residential amenity degradation through traffic and parking overflow
Safety risks from increased flooding and traffic conflicts
Construction disruption during critical educational periods
Burden on local streets and emergency access

5. Superior Alternative Available
Hunter Park sporting precinct offers better outcomes:
Strategic alignment with regional planning
No disruption to established educational facilities
Superior traffic access and parking capacity
Broader community benefit without compromising existing assets
Avoids flood-prone site issues

Conclusion
This proposal prioritises one sporting code over broader community needs. The substantial funding shortfall, inadequate impact mitigation, and dismissive approach to legitimate concerns demonstrate poor planning practice.
The development would permanently compromise educational services for 1,200 students, create ongoing safety and amenity issues for residents, and remove valuable community green space - all for a facility that may never be completed due to funding constraints.

Recommendation: Refuse the application and redirect efforts toward the Hunter Park alternative that delivers sporting infrastructure without sacrificing existing community assets.

Playing basketball for some 30 plus years in Newcastle, I have seen the current stadium deteriorate significantly overtime. To the point where it’s the only indoor sport I’ve heard that needs to be cancelled due to rain. Further to that the courts are extremely slippery when rain occurs making it very dangerous to play on.
The current insulation is falling from the roof and is no longer effective making it extremely hot during the hotter months causing extreme discomfort not only for players but supporters as well.
Basketball is growing significantly in the area and it would be great to see a WNBL team get up and running and to do this a bigger stadium is required. Not to mention the success of the NBL1 woman over the past years, they deserve to excel to that next level.
The area is in high needs of a new facility as the current one is extremely outdated and becoming beyond repair.

This is definitely a much needed facility for the Hunter region.

Newcastle’s growing basketball community is bursting at the seams, and the current facilities can no longer keep pace. A new stadium would provide modern, inclusive spaces for schools, community groups, and elite athletes, while delivering year-round health, social, and economic benefits. Thoughtful design can ensure landscaping and open areas remain, meaning the project doesn’t erase green space but enhances its use. This isn’t just about sport—it’s about building infrastructure that serves thousands, fosters community, and strengthens the city’s future. This is not a battle between sport and green space, but about ensuring Newcastle’s land delivers the greatest possible benefit to the most people. With smart planning, the new stadium can coexist with green space while unlocking opportunities that Newcastle simply cannot afford to miss.

We desperately need a new basketball stadium. Having 4 kids play and having no courts to train on is not good enough. Please support the kids by building a new basketball stadium before they are adults.

I have played basketball all over Sydney, including western Sydney, the shire and the hills district. Basketball is both more popular here, and our stadium is x10 worse! We desperately need this with kids not even able to get into a team because our current facilities are one of the oldest in the state and can't accomodate anymore players. It's an embarrassment to Newcastle. Even worse, kids slipping while they're playing. This would be an enormous upgrade to our sporting facilities in the greater Newcastle region, and a massive positive for the city and the community. There are 8 other sport fields within roughly a 1km radius + lambton park is right around the corner, seems a no brainer to me.

Much needed for our region

I believe that this is an important social project which is needed to ensure that Newcastle residents have access to essential sporting infrastructure

This new indoor sports centre will be a game changer for indoor court sports in Newcastle. From the mini hoops kids right through to those who love a bit of pickleball.
This facility will bring bigger sporting games to Newcastle and be a stadium we can be proud to host in.
The current stadium is falling apart, is hazardous to play when the roof leaks. No facelift will fix what’s wrong with it.

I am fully supportive of this project.

More sporting facilities for all children. The state of the current facility is terrible for a sport that has a lot of competitors.
This facility is planned to benefit the community from all areas

It’s time Newcastle caught up with the rest of the state. There are always people uncomfortable with change. Let’s keep progress in action. Newcastle needs a sports centre and particularly new basketball courts and venue to be able to participate at a national level.

I feel that a improved sports centre would provide a great area for the community to keep active and give people a great opportunity for athletes to improve

Newcastle needs basketball facilities for the many, many kids that play.

Our area is in desperate need of a modern functioning Basketball stadium. It is years overdue with the current stadium falling apart and in heavy rain having to be closed due to leaking roofs or walls. Basketball is a growing sport with currently lots of kids being turned away due to limited courts. It will bring revenue and growth to the area.

I absolutely support this project. I have two teenage boys who play basketball at the current stadium which is no longer fit for purpose. It's an embarrassment to Newcastle when players and families come from other areas to play at our current stadium. If it rains the place is regularly shut down due to all the water ingress. The proposed development will provide so many opportunities, especially for our young people.

Much needed for our community. Supports health and wellness for all ages. Brings in tourists for competitions to our area.

It is needed in the area