Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)

I am opposed to this development due to the loss of this existing green space if this development goes ahead.
The major increase in traffic and parking congestion on the surrounding suburban streets.
The potential restraints for emergency vehicles to reach the surrounding neighbourhood.
Loss of the playing fields for Lambton High School.
Loss of the existing open space sports grounds.
I also believe this development will increase the risks and negative effects of flooding issues in an already flood prone area.

In response to amendments proposed to the HISC project I would like to make the following comments:
1) The project amendment has not substantially changed from the initial proposal and has not addressed the primary issue, not that this is an innately unwanted or un-needed development, but that this is the wrong location for this facility.
2) The proposal to relocate the building footprint and the carpark 19.5 m west will seemingly increase the overall footprint and result in the loss of space which I understood was going to be able to be used by the high school. The objection in relation to the impact of this proposed development on the school environment and potentially on student wellbeing and learning outcomes has already been raised by many in the school and broader community.
3) As it stands the location of this proposal is currently public green space. It is open to use by the general public, cricket and soccer clubs, dog walkers and just anyone wanting some solace in an increasingly urbanised environment. An indoor sport centre will not be so accessible. Will anyone be able to enter the facility at any time to throw or kick a ball around or use the equipment "provided" by the facility? Access will not be equitable.
4) There has been nothing in the amendment to address concerns about increased traffic or concerns about parking in neighbouring streets. Although, if it is the intent of council to raise revenue from parking fines then this could be seen as a plus.
5) The project seems to conflict with the NSW planning policy on open space which highlights that public open space is an
infrastructure in its own right and essential for community wellbeing. With proposed increased housing density in the Broadmeadow precinct in the coming years, careful consideration of green space preservation should be at the forefront on any planning proposal.
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/open-space
6) There are other growing areas in the "Hunter" not specifically Newcastle which would benefit from an indoor sports facility . Areas such as Maitland and Lake Macquarie have rapidly growing populations. If accessibility and need are taken to be primary drivers of this facility surely it would make ore sense to find a location where it would provide the most benefit.

Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the region and needs a facility that will support that growth.
The current lack of quality facilities means that hundreds of children in each age group cannot join the competition each season.
The NSW Government quite sensibly invests in programs like"Active Kids" that encourage greater participation in children's sport, understanding the physical and mental benefits of sporting participation. Building this facility is consistent with that approach and ought to be progressed.

My objections to the location of the Huter Indoor Sports Centre have not changed even with the changes made they are:
age
My family and I have been a resident of Hitchcock Ave New Lambton since 2002, being part of a sporting hub with all forms of outdoor spaces has been one of the joys of living in this area and during this time we have seen the expansion of Mc Donald Jones stadium and the Hockey Complex.
I object to this development for three reasons:
1. Loss of green space : the basketball centre will remove three playing ovals which are utilised by numerous sporting codes through the week and on weekends, as well as dog walkers and families for recreation.
2. Increase traffic and parking: already during the NRL season and Jets/ Hockey tournaments/ we are subjected to huge volumes of traffic around streets and parking across drive ways, on corners. Put into this mix basketball traffic from 7am to 10pm everyday , the proposed 200+ parking just will not accommodate the volume of cars being brought into the area.
3. The noise level. Having games every day until 10 pm at night, the noise from games/particpants/ cars will be unbearable

Much needed community infrastructure!! Will be a wonderful asset.

My objections are
1. The increase in traffic and parking issues for the local area. We already have the stadium on game days and the hockey fields that are used continually and have a significant impact on the local residents.
2. The loss of open/park space. This is beautiful corridor of green open space that should not be built on. There are numerous bird species that use this field to feed.
3. The loss of another sports field that is used all the time.
4. Flooding. This area already floods when we have significant rain. Building more infrastructure here is not going to help.

This is so incredibly needed. It will be such a benefit to the community

I am in support of this building being built for multiple sports

To whom it may concern,
I strongly object to this development in this location for many reasons.
The development on these most precious ovals should never have been considered, or offered up by the previous Lord Mayor!
The ovals provide a much needed greenspace & are a tremendous asset to the local community.
Our ovals are used constantly by the local community, school students, sporting groups, etc.
They are used for recreation & a number of different sports.
Lambton High School uses the ovals for sports, recreation, & an emergency area.
Local residents already have to deal with traffic when there are major sporting & concert events at MacDonald Jones stadium.
Parking is a already a nightmare, visitors to the events parking across driveways, blocking residents in, or out of their properties.
Emergency services already find it difficult to access the area in an emergency. Who would be responsible if they can not get to a patient in need, & jeopardises someones life, the NSW government or the basketball association?
Flooding is a huge issue with residents, they are already dealing with huge insurance bills.
Building on our greenspace would only increase the flooding problems, more hard surfaces more run off which needs to go somewhere, which will be into local residents properties.
No one has control over Mother Nature & with climate change the problem is only going to get worse. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should!
These precious ovals act like a sponge & are doing a wonderful job.
From Lambton through to Broadmeadow is a natural swamp, nothing is going to change that, only humans that think they can control everything. Do I need to mention the buy back scheme in the Grafton area, another wonderful area to build!
Who will be responsible for damage caused to properties, the NSW government or the Basketball association?
The proposed Hunter sports stadium is going to be open 7 days a week, only being closed for 7 hours a day. The constant noise, lighting, people coming & going. No rest for the local residents.
The ongoing worry of the proposed building is taking its toll on many, impacting our well being & mental health.
All this for a building that has the title of Hunter Sports Stadium, which means it can be built anywhere in the Hunter.
There are many other areas it can be built, close to public transport & main roads that can take large volumes of traffic easy parking for users, with no impact on local residents, school students, properties & flooding. Glendale comes to mind.
Why would anyone want to build in an area that already has traffic, parking, & flooding issues, it makes NO sense!.
I couldn't imagine the stress that this is already having on Lambton High School students (nearly1200 students).
Can you imagine going to school & having all your greenspace taken away. No where to run off the stress of sitting in class & studying. Even looking onto an open greenspace is relaxing. All those students having to listen to the constant noise of building which would go on for years affecting their learning.
We want our children to run, play, lay on the grass & keep off their mobile phones.
New Lambton public school also walk students to use the ovals as they don't have any grass area at the school that they can use.
The students are walked to the ovals which takes one lesson, then play sports for another lesson & then it takes another lessen to walk them back to school. It will greatly affect these young students as well.
Local junior cricket & soccer groups would be forced to travel to Beresfield, it would take at least 30 mins either way on a good traffic day without all the roadworks happening at present & peak hour traffic.
Can you imagine travelling all that distance for training & games when your local ovals have been taken away to be used by others that don't live local forcing you miles away. Many parents have already said if this building goes ahead they will withdraw their children from cricket & soccer.
Also the stress to parents already busy with work & other commitments. Then the added expense of petrol etc. Life is already difficult enough for many on restricted budgets, not to mentioned single parents trying to do it all.
I will leave it to others with their submissions to go into greater detail with plans, cost, flooding, parking, traffic etc.
Thank you,
Tammy Russell.

I am submitting my objections from the point of view of a recent resident in the area.
The first indication that there were problems was when I had issues with insurance for my property. Some companies refused to cover my address. Most others were quoting exorbitantly, t o such an extent that the former owner of my property let his cover lapse. On enquiry it seemed that it had to do with the already poor drainage and the prospect of it becoming worse with the proposed development.
I was told that the green space/sports fields were underused. From my observations in fine weather it is used almost continuously every day from about 8.30am. Besides the obvious importance to the school, the training sessions several times a week and the games late into the afternoon on Saturdays, it is used by individuals and families. there are often small children there are often small children, not to mention the daily visits by the local Day Care. I believe it is the same in summer when the cricket season begins.
I chose to live here because it has been a quiet dormitory suburb. Its proximity to hospitals was an important consideration. It now appears that emergency services cannot access many of the local streets, even at the moment, when games are on. This situation will only be exacerbated with the proposed development - a grave concern. I can find no studies or modelling presenting feasable solutions.
There is a 'health service facility' provision in the new plan but professional sport inevitably leads to more serious injuries that will require hospitalisation rather than first aid. Will our already overcrowded hospitals and overworked medical staff be suplemented to deal with these events? Will there be extra finance available to provide for the additional staff/work load/facilities required?
Road and pedestrian safety is already compromised. Parking is an obvious issue. It is almost impossible for locals to have visitors.
Security is currently inadequite. Parking police work hard on game days but there is never any sighting of regular police. Already locals have rubbish thrown over fences. My house has been 'egged' and I have removed glass from the nature strip. Cane wexpect more security as part of the new development? Who will pay if it proves necessary?

TO SUMMERISE MY OBJECTIONS
.There will be a serious loss of multiuse green space
.Water run off/flooding will be inevitable
.There will be law and order issues
.The already unacceptable parking and traffic situation will be exacerbated
.Medical services for residents and the public will be effected
.Life style enjoyment and safety of residents will be jepodised
.Additional costs to residents for noise abatement from the venue and additional traffic
.Funding for the project appears to be fluid and insufficient. How much has been spent already.

I love play volleyball but currently there are very limited opportunities for volleyball lovers to get together and play. This will not only allow access for volleyball lovers but all sports players to gather

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the country. Participation rates amongst players of all ages are at an all time high. The game is thriving and popularity is soaring. Having been involved in the sport as a junior (in the ACT, with multiple facilities, all far above the standard of what the current Broadmeadow Stadium is)al the way through to an adult, parent and coach, I can honestly say the Hunter Basketball community deserve better. No one will disagree that the region is in need of a state of the art indoor sports facility that caters for not just Basketball, but many other sports and events. The issue is where. Newcastle is blessed with its geography and surrounding areas. Plenty of space to do plenty of things. Unfortunately for the Basketball community we have limited options. Until now that is. The current proposal seems to be not only the best, but only feasible fit.
As a member of the Basketball community it only takes a weekend away trip during the representative seasons to regional places like Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Bathurst, Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga to name a few to realise what we and our children currently play out of is nothing short of embarrassing. Major events are reluctant or refuse to stage tournaments in a dated facility like Broadmeadow and as such the regional towns and cities mentioned above thrive on the influx of dollars brought in from each sporting event held. Accommodation, Restaurants & Cafes, Retail you name it, all benefit. There is a flow on effect from being a destination. Lots of people win out of facilities like this.
Newcastle has the opportunity to put itself front and centre in the sporting community by having one of the States, but countries best facilities.
We need to think bigger picture here, we need to consider what opportunities can be provided for the tens of thousands of people that will benefit from the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre. The positives of such a project being approved, built, completed and then used far outweigh any counter.
I look forward to this being completed one day.

Our children in Newcastle region need this to continue to play basketball. It will bring so many BNSW competitions to local area and be also able to help with letting everyone play the sport they love, as currently kids miss out to inadequate facilities. It is also vital as our youth need these facilities for mental health needs and social. Our u18’s could have more to look forward to, aim to achieve as this could bring back NBL in the area. We have so many talented youths and not safe, playable courts to use. Our juniors are just as good as metro but can only train on certain days to all have access to courts. Our 11/12 year olds are training at 6am before school to get on the court. With such a massive community, with great success in sports, Newcastle need this facility.

As a parent who has a child who has played basketball for years, having a functional stadium that can be used even after there has been some rain and does not have parts of the ceiling shedding is vital. The discussion for a suitable site has been going on for at least five years and it’s a disgrace that this debate is still being had. The parking situation at the proposed site will not be any worse off than normal, so long as there is agreement with the use of stadium parking where possible. There is ample parkland across Wallarah Rd from the proposed site. Having students from Lambton Highschool walk 200m to the next nearest Ford, Kentish or Harmer Ovals is not a major feat.
I fully support this development as do the hundreds of children in the local area who both play and should be encouraged to keep playing this sport at a fit for purpose venue

Looking forward to this being built

I support the project. The site is perfect for a basketball stadium and the area desperately needs a new facility. The benefits far outweigh the impacts.

Submission – Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)
As a former local resident of Newcastle, I am writing from interstate to express my strong concern about the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre. Having lived in the area, not far from the proposed development, for many years, I know first-hand the impacts this development would have both on the wider community and Lambton high. My concerns are as follows:

Impact on Lambton High School
The 1,200 students of Lambton High School will be greatly affected by this proposal, yet they are barely mentioned in the Environmental Impact Statement or the Response to submissions report. The reports appear not to see the removal of the ovals as a negative impact by suggesting that students will have “significant access” to the new indoor centre. But this misses the point: the school already has multiple covered basketball courts. What it actually needs is green space to deliver its PDHPE curriculum — sports like touch football, AFL, cricket, softball, and javelin, which cannot be played indoors.
If forced to leave the school to use other grounds, students would require excursions with two teachers, cutting into lesson time and limiting their ability to meet curriculum hours. The ovals also provide informal recreation at lunchtimes and are vital to students’ mental health. As a mental health clinician, I am very aware that research shows that access to green space reduces stress and improves well-being. This is incredibly important for our young people who have become so reliant on technology and gaming and are having reduced hours outside.
The three ovals are the school’s emergency evacuation point. Removing them would raise serious safety concerns, as the next nearest ovals require crossing roads — not feasible for 1,200 students in an emergency.
The proponent suggests the Lambton high students can use Arthur Edden and Harker oval - both of these are district level playing fields that are locked and not available to the school - have they even asked if these are available? Have they seen a written agreement between the school and City of Newcastle and or Wests league and Lambton Jaffas?
The only mitigation measure for noise from construction is the builder will talk to the school about it. The planned construction will be 6m from the school border and hours of construction work are 7am-4pm Monday to Friday - so through the entire school day. What impact will this noise have on students learning? Were noise levels assessed from the high school as an adjoining land owner?
What will the impacts of dust and dirt from construction be on the students? What about students with asthma and breathing issues? Has this even been considered?
I find the SIA very negligible in this regard as the impact on the students are not really considered

Traffic and Parking
As someone familiar with the road network around Turton Road and the stadium precinct, I am deeply concerned about traffic impacts. Even now, congestion is severe during peak hours and when major events are held. The EIS and RTS reports note that basketball’s peak use is between 4–9pm, with 500 cars expected per hour, yet the proposal provides only 220–240 parking spaces. Vehicles unable to enter the site will inevitably spill into narrow residential streets, such as Monash Road, which were not included in the traffic assessment — a fundamental flaw. This will cause chaos for residents and reduce safety for pedestrians. With a main entry way over the footbridge on Monash rd this will see dozens of people using Monash rd and surrounding streets. There are no footpaths on Monash rd so people will wander down the street, double park for drop off’s, do u turns. I can predict this because I have witnessed this motorists behaviour for many years while living in the area.

Funding Uncertainty
Finally, the proposal carries a $90 million price tag, with more than $60 million still unfunded. Newcastle Basketball has already failed to secure grant last year. There is a real risk that the project will not be fully delivered, leaving the community with the permanent loss of green space for only a partially built facility. This is not a fair or responsible outcome.

Conclusion
I urge the Department and the Independent Planning Commission to carefully consider the real costs of this project. Lambton High students, local residents, and the wider community stand to lose vital open space, face new traffic and parking pressures, and risk being left with an incomplete development. These impacts outweigh the benefits. For these reasons, I ask that the application be refused or that a more suitable site, such as Hunter Park, be considered instead.

The Basketball Stadium is a pillar of the sporting community of Newcastle. For many it is a great chance to be active, meet new people and have fun.

I’ve played the social comp for more than 10 years now and really appreciate the facilities that we do have. But it would be amazing to have access to better facilities and to increase the availability of basketball to more members of the community. As well as opening more pathways to Basketball as a profession for the next generation of players.

I support the HISC. This supports many sports in the Newcastle Area.

My daughter plays basketball and the current location is in need of repair and upgrade