Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC)

This project is long overdue, as a very close neighbour they have my full support and cannot wait until its built. Its the best location

As an individual who walks this area regularly, uses this space and first hand sees how important it is to the community.
I strongly object to the proposal to build an indoor sports centre on this section of the park.

This space is not underused or idle land – it is already heavily relied upon by the community. The local high school uses it for lessons and sport, cricket and soccer are played seasonally, and it is constantly used for recreation such as running, ball games, and community activities. To remove this would be to strip the community of one of its most valuable open green spaces. Once it is lost, it will never be replaced.

The location also raises serious and unavoidable issues around parking and traffic. Congestion is already a problem whenever the stadium across the road holds events, and placing another large-scale facility here will only make this worse. The impact on residents will be significant and negative.
Building on a well used, much needed green space is the wrong decision for the community.

For these reasons, I firmly oppose the project and urge council to reject it.

As a resident of one of the "nearby streets that can absorb traffic flow" I greatly oppose this planning application. Turton road is congested daily and completely at standstill for hours before and after events at Macdonald Jones. The surrounding streets already suffer with traffic overflow from Turton and progressively increasing traffic from the hospitals on either side including loud regular traffic through the night.

There is already a lack planning for the future when it comes to retaining and potecting green space - we cannot afford to loose this highly utilised and important community recreation area. It is the home to many community sports, school recreation, and frequent leisure use by local residents.
Choosing to prioritise one groups recreational pursuits above the general community use is an unfair allocation of that resource and just moves the problem of lack of recreactional space from one group to another. If the Hunter Sport Centre is needed then it will be utilised well even in a less than central location - the majority of people accessing that centre will be driving to it from various parts of the city therefore it's location needs are not as fixed as those of the local children's sports teams, local school, and local residents who currently walk to these fields for their recreation.



The impact in terms of flooding by concreting over huge areas will be devastating and the areas land hand already demonstrated vulnerability with recent land slips.

The impacts of traffic and congestion will be catastrophic especially considering the sheduling of the Mcdonald Jones and the expansion of both the John Hunter and Mater hospital campuses.

This great for our town and kids.

My 15 year old son plays basketball at Newcastle Basketball Stadium and would be doing so for years to come. The kids now and for future generations desperately need a new indoor sports centre that can provide sporting facilities for a range of sports.
The Newcastle Falcons men women and youth need a court to play their home games that all of Newcastle can be proud of.

I strongly support the development of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre, as it will provide long-lasting benefits to the Hunter community across health, sport, education, and the local economy.

1. Meeting Community Demand
Currently, there is a shortage of quality indoor sporting facilities in the Hunter region. Many clubs, schools, and community groups struggle to access courts and training spaces, particularly during rep season.

2. Promoting Health and Participation
The centre will play a critical role in encouraging active lifestyles. By making sport more accessible and affordable, it will help combat rising levels of inactivity and associated health issues. Importantly, it will cater to people of all ages and abilities, ensuring everyone — from children to seniors — has opportunities to stay active.

3. Supporting Pathways and Development
A high-quality indoor facility will create pathways for juniors and aspiring athletes to develop their skills. With access to professional-level courts and programs, young players will have greater opportunities to progress from grassroots through to representative and elite levels, without needing to leave the region.

4. Building Community and Inclusion
The centre will serve as more than just a sports facility — it will become a community hub. By offering inclusive programs, it will support social connection, cultural diversity, and opportunities for people with disabilities. It will provide a safe and welcoming space where families and friends can come together, strengthening community bonds.

5. Driving Economic and Regional Growth
The facility will generate significant economic benefits for the Hunter region. Hosting competitions, tournaments, and events will attract visitors, boosting tourism and supporting local businesses such as hospitality and accommodation providers. The project will also create jobs during construction and through ongoing operations.

Conclusion
The Hunter Indoor Sports Centre represents an important investment in the region’s future. It will meet a critical shortage of indoor sporting space, promote health and wellbeing, foster talent pathways, build inclusive communities, and drive economic growth. For these reasons, I strongly support its development and urge decision-makers to prioritise and fund this project.

The current Basketball Stadium which is also used for multiple other sports is well past its used by date. Newcastle needs a new indoor sports venue where basketball can thrive! Children & adults are turned away due to the lack of courts.
We need to get behind this project!

Newcastle desperately needs a new basketball stadium, it’s a good location that is central to most

In the past we as a family often used this space, I feel it's important to maintain open areas where ordinary people can enjoy open outdoors and even see the horizon. This development while good for the (I suggest) very small basketball community, will rob the the rest of the community including Lambton High of a valuable flexible open area. Surely the current site can be upgraded to meet what they need without taking what never can be returned.

Newcastle is one of the largest basketball associations in NSW and yet we have facilitates that don't currently cater for the population it serves. The stadium is also currently in a state of disrepair, rendered unusable during periods of heavy rain and hot summer temperatures as well as the risk of debris falling from the ceiling. Junior competitions fill within days, leaving many on waiting lists and many miss out entirely. There are so many initiatives aimed at enticing kids to play basketball and yet there isn't the court capacity to cope. Currently NBL1 teams cannot train on their home courts like other associations. Other sports are also reliant on our facilities such as volleyball, pickleball and futsal. Futsal alone has thousands of members. The teams training on the green space need to learn to share the space and there are other options available to them. The allocated space per player is much smaller for stadium-based sports therefore it benefits so many more people. Government is planning to build a significant number of high-rise apartments in the precinct. These kids will also need to be active and play sports. More sporting events in Newcastle also brings in more tourist dollars. Local families can come along to the basketball and netball games and not just to footy games. We love attending NBL1 Falcons games as a family; what quality time it is! Kids hang out with their friends in a safe and supervised environment and parents cheer and socialise. Women's basketball is also in a huge growth period. We need girls to stay in sport so we need to offer them more unique opportunities for engagement. How about walking basketball for those over 50? More court space for wheelchair basketball too. Our representative teams need more court time to train and scrimmage more regularly against other local associations, allowing us to be more competitive against Sydney and other state teams. It would be amazing to host a WNBL team, with a pathway from juniors all the way through to the NBL1 and WNBL teams, with the associated high performance infrastructure. We have some of the best coaches in Australia in the Hunter Region, such as Tim Mallon, Kristy Flores and Dr Adrian Hurley OAM, and we are not fully utilising them. What a lost opportunity. I strongly believe that Newcastle Basketball has catered for the concerns of the neighbours and nearby schools. The new stadium design is impressive, and I strongly support it moving ahead ASAP. Some may think Novocastrians only live and breathe football. You could not be more wrong. Bring on the fans and the many, many kids and adults who will be happier and healthier playing sport in the new Hunter Indoor Sports Centre. Full steam ahead!

As a parent to a basketball player, I strongly support the proposal to build a new multi purpose indoor sports centre for Newcastle. The popularity of basketball in Newcastle is such that the number of court sessions available each week in the old facility is significantly less than that which are required to satisfy demand, meaning that a large number of potential teams are unable to join the competition and children in particular are missing out on the opportunity to play sport. The proposed new larger facility will help to meet this need and also provide first class facilities, adjacent to established facilities for other sports in the Newcastle Sport Precinct. Players and supporters of indoor sports and basketball in particular, are deserving of a new larger facility to meet demand as soon as possible and continued delays in seeing a new facility constructed are only hurting the reputation of the sport in the area and denying access to the sport to potential players.

I would love all these volleyball courts to be available for use by aspiring volleyballers in the region - as the limitations on court availability currently pull interest away from the beautiful game and it can become a thriving part of the newcastle community. Together with the exquisite staff this will be a terrific project to put forward - because VOLLEYBALL IS THE GREATEST

The Hunter Region's lack of indoor sports facilities limits high-performance training opportunities for juniors across various sports. It also prevents us from hosting professional sporting events, that not only boost local revenue and tourism, but also inspire young people by giving them the chance to experience elite-level sport up close. Investing in a modern indoor facility would help keep more kids engaged in sport and open the door to greater community and economic benefits.

This is a perfect location for the sport of basketball. The stadium is imperative in continuing basketball in our town. Our children should be put before minor ground squabbles.

I remain opposed to the development at this location. I do believe that a new stadium should be built, however, I cannot support the stadium being built in this location.
I do not support for the following reasons:
- Lack of initial consultation and subsequent poor community consultation in determining the site.
- Loss of green space.
- Loss of playing space for other sporting codes
- Loss of amenity for nearby residents
- Loss of evacuation space, playing space, recreation space for Lambton High School. Lambton HS students will be severely impacted by this change.
- Severe flooding impacts, the current ovals act as flood overflow and the 90% concrete replacing will cause flooding impacts on nearby residents in Monash Rd, Gloucester Ave, Duke St, Marina Ave etc.
- Severe parking impacts on nearby residents (Newcastle Basketball’s reports explicitly state that nearby streets can and will absorb traffic overflow).
- Traffic issues on Turton Rd from entry and exit of hundreds of vehicles to and from the stadium.
I also have serious concerns that Newcastle Basketball cannot afford to build the stadium and will be reliant upon further funding sources. This has been detailed well in a Newcastle Herald article.

To whom it may concern,

Re opposition to Hunter Indoor sports Centre (HISC)

I don’t live locally but regularly use Turton Rd and visit the precinct for sporting matches and concerts. I support indoor sport, yet I object to HISC as exhibited because the proposal appears to under provide self‑contained parking, relies on off‑site bays without a binding agreement, mitigates overflow by suggesting users park in adjacent residential streets and lacks a precinct‑wide, agency‑endorsed event plan that tests no‑overflow and multi‑venue concurrency. Without this, day‑to‑day operations and event peaks will likely increase congestion, delay buses, and impede emergency access, especially in the peak times of HISC daily usage, stated as between 4pm-9pm, which coincides with usual peak traffic flow. It is not good enough to suggest a robust plan will be developed on approval. Traffic and parking raise serious concerns in this proposal and without a binding, “set in stone” agreement it should not be approved.

The EIS and RtS fail to outline the negative cumulative impacts of other developments in the area. The Broadmeadow place strategy, which is set to bring 40,000 new residents into the area, less that 2 km away will heavily increase the use of Turton and Lambton rds as main thoroughfares. As part of this project, the building of a 40,000 seat Entertainment centre adjacent to McDonald Jones stadium will result in the area almost being closed down when big events are on. Local residents trying to access their homes and basketball patrons trying to access the stadium will be shut out when events are on. Can you imagine not being able to access your own home because of traffic congestion and road closures.
There is also a new development of a Woolworths and 9 specialty shops approved recently, after being overturned in the Land and environment court, having previously been rejected by City of Newcastle due to flooding and traffic concerns. This development will be built 700 m from the ovals on Lambton and Lang rds just south east of the traffic lights that intersect between Lambton and Turton rd. This will generate a lot of traffic and line ups at the already busy lights at Turton rd.

I am urging you to please refuse this proposal unless: (1) a robust TEMP is provided now; this is imperative as waiting until after approval for this is far too late (2) any off‑site parking is secured by agreement or event attendance is scaled to on‑site capacity; (3) access design shows queue containment and conflict‑free bus/service swept paths; and (4) a 12‑month post‑opening review with triggered upgrades is required. If approved, conditions must be strict and enforceable to protect the wider road network.

Thank you for considering

I remain opposed to the development at this location. I do believe that a new stadium should be built, however, I cannot support the stadium being built in this location.
I do not support for the following reasons:
- Lack of initial consultation and subsequent poor community consultation in determining the site.
- Loss of green space.
- Loss of playing space for other sporting codes. The Wests club are already severly impacted by soccer, lpoor lighting, weather and less than adequate facilities. I feel that this would impact even more and may lead to the demise of our historical club. Our clun is already trying to accomodate for girls in our code and this will not help us encourage more girls in league.
- Loss of amenity for nearby residents
- Loss of evacuation space, playing space, recreation space for Lambton High School. Lambton HS students will be severely impacted by this change.
- Severe flooding impacts, the current ovals act as flood overflow and the 90% concrete replacing will cause flooding impacts on nearby residents in Monash Rd, Gloucester Ave, Duke St, Marina Ave etc.
- Severe parking impacts on nearby residents (Newcastle Basketball’s reports explicitly state that nearby streets can and will absorb traffic overflow).
- Traffic issues on Turton Rd from entry and exit of hundreds of vehicles to and from the stadium.
I also have serious concerns that Newcastle Basketball cannot afford to build the stadium and will be reliant upon further funding sources. This has been detailed well in a Newcastle Herald article today.

I remain opposed to the development at this location. I do believe that a new stadium should be built, however, I cannot support the stadium being built in this location.
I do not support for the following reasons:
- Lack of initial consultation and subsequent poor community consultation in determining the site.
- Loss of green space.
- Loss of playing space for other sporting codes
- Loss of amenity for nearby residents
- Loss of evacuation space, playing space, recreation space for Lambton High School. Lambton HS students will be severely impacted by this change.
- Severe flooding impacts, the current ovals act as flood overflow and the 90% concrete replacing will cause flooding impacts on nearby residents in Monash Rd, Gloucester Ave, Duke St, Marina Ave etc.
- Severe parking impacts on nearby residents (Newcastle Basketball’s reports explicitly state that nearby streets can and will absorb traffic overflow).
- Traffic issues on Turton Rd from entry and exit of hundreds of vehicles to and from the stadium.
I also have serious concerns that Newcastle Basketball cannot afford to build the stadium and will be reliant upon further funding sources. This has been detailed well in a Newcastle Herald article.

Our kids are in desperate need for new basketball facilities! There is an overwhelming number of kids wanting to play basketball in Newcastle and these kids should be given the same opportunities that kids in other cities are given. This stadium is still in the same condition to what it was when I was a child and I’m now 42years old. We have travelled to many cities this year representing Newcastle Falcons and our facilities compared to somewhere like Tamworth is really lacking. I’m too Lambton High school is behind this development as are the cricket and soccer associations however the Lambton High P&C is not. As a parent at with 2 children at Lambton High I have never been asked for our opinions from the P&C.
Please do this for our kids, they deserve it.

My kids have played basketball for 10 years now and it’s embarrassing playing at Broadmeadow. The courts are so outdated and nothing seems to work very well. There are so many more kids playing now than when we first started. It’s time to give this city something to be proud of rather than what the poor kids have to go through now.