A new venue is much needed for the Newcastle basketball community.

This will an excellent community facility

To whom it may concern:
I wish to raise my objections to the current proposed location of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC). I have real concerns about the lack of insight into the very real, very permanent impact that this loss of green space will have on the surrounding community, Lambton Hight School and other sporting clubs.

I live in New Lambton with my husband and 3 children. My husband and eldest play basketball, he attends Merewether High School. My middle and youngest attend Lambton High School.
We need a new basketball stadium, I have no objections to that. We have spent countless hours at the stadium over the years: it’s not big enough, it floods, it has had very little maintenance work carried out on it during our time there.

However the proposed location of Blackley and Wallarah ovals is not the place for the following reasons:
Consultation and loss of green space:
The land is public/crown land and is well utilised by both the adjoining Lambton High School and multiple local sports clubs. Consultation with residents and the community from site selection through to the current response to submissions from the EIS has been poor. Residents and community have significant valid concerns around loss of the green space that is heavily used by the local school and sporting groups, flooding, parking and traffic. The ‘decide and defend’ strategy being utilised by Newcastle Basketball is disappointing and insulting to the community they wish to disrupt and become a part of.
The original plans had green space at the rear of the facility that Lambton High School could still access, however this green space has been removed from the current plans, with throw away comments about the school being able to access Arthur Edden or Harker ovals, which they can’t. These are locked grounds. Almost 25% of our children are overweight or obese (Overweight and obesity in children - HealthStats NSW), they deserve more than the remnant greenspace to encourage sports and activity during their time at school.
Lambton High School currently uses these ovals as their evacuation space – where do they propose that the new space be located?
Cost concerns:
The total cost, inclusive of GST, exceeds $90 million. Newcastle Basketball currently have the remains of their $25 million grant, leaving a significant shortfall in funding. There is no report detailing where the remaining money, which is in excess of $60 million, is going to come from. Stage one alone is estimated to cost $35 million. Newcastle Basketball has told basketball patrons they will aim to find funds for. This causes me great concern, as there is no guarantee that the project can even go ahead with adequate funding for stage 1, let alone the project in its entirety.
Traffic and parking:
The traffic congestion and parking implications on local residents is unreasonable. We used to live in Wallarah Road. We couldn’t invite people to our house when there was something on at the stadium because there was nowhere to park. This was 10 years ago. Usage, traffic and parking has only increased over time and adding to this with a stadium in suburbia is an unfair burden to place on residents in surrounding streets.

In the past 18 months Newcastle City Council has rejected not one, but two applications from businesses due to traffic concerns for the local residents.
City of Newcastle - Application Details – Woolworths Broadmeadow
City of Newcastle - Application Details – Hungry Jack Wallsend
Why has the same standard not been applied to this development?
There is poor access to public transport from this location, and the added traffic burden caused by the basketball courts will coincide with commuter peak times along Turton Rd, which raises legitimate safety, congestion and environmental concerns.
Newcastle Basketball have claimed that the site is well located to be accessed by public transport from Broadmeadow Station. It claims ‘Broadmeadow railway station is approximately 1 kilometre east of the site’. According to google maps Broadmeadow station is a 1.7km, 23 minute walk. Newcastle Basketball do not present any evidence on how many of their patrons currently arrive by public transport when Broadmeadow station is significantly closer to their current site. What evidence do they have that more people will utilise it when it is further away?
This report also states that “It was confirmed that MJ Stadium has 25 dates annually associated with rugby league or football. These days are typically a Thursday evening, Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday. In addition, there are scheduled concerts and other events held throughout the year. The scheduling of NBL1 dates and tournament dates shall therefore be planned to avoid these key commitments. This will reduce the cumulative impacts of the venues as well as enabling the HISC to make shared use of the parking in the precinct, including the 920 spaces associated with McDonald Jones Stadium for overflow parking”
In 2024 every NBL 1 match was scheduled on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday (NBL1 Newcastle Falcons Schedule - Newcastle Basketball)). There is no evidence of consultation with the NBL 1 to support the suggested scheduling above being accommodated by the NBL 1 league.
The traffic event management plan doesn’t assess the impact residents currently experience when events are on at the stadium. Their parking strategy for every day usage includes the public street parking on Monash Road – Newcastle Basketball has no claim over these public spaces, even if 80 of these are “ along the site’. They are in fact separated by a drain, and as they state, used as overflow parking when other events are held in the precinct and by residents. These parks cannot be considered as part of the day -to-day parking strategy. Newcastle Basketball has regularly scheduled community games on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, which will all clash with the 25 annual dates for events at the stadium. Their parking strategy is based on 3-4 people sharing a car, which they have no evidence to support currently happens.
The traffic even management strategy also claims that ‘Spectators can then cross Turton Road at the signalised crossing allowing for the safe and controlled movement of pedestrians at this location’ (after parking at MacDonald Jones stadium). These pedestrian lights operation on demand, and while it will allow for safe and controlled movement of pedestrians it will have a major impact on traffic flow on this arterial road.
I look forward to Newcastle having a new, functional basketball stadium, however not at the expense of our green spaces, children’s ability to freely use the space and livelihood of residents. Newcastle Basketball continue to state that there are no adverse environmental, social or economic impacts resulting from this proposal. This isn’t just a proposal about the future of basketball in Newcastle, it’s about the long term, ongoing, negative and highly impactful effects of building a stadium in a residential area without adequate planning for parking, flood management, loss of community green space, disruption to the residents and funding. I respectfully request that the proposal at this location be rejected.

Recently Newcastle Basketball released new amendments to its existing plan, in addition to responding to the submissions made during a public exhibition process held
late last year.

This revision now includes a larger footprint, which means there will no longer be any green space Lambton High School students would be able to use.
The Wallarah and Blackley Ovals are utilised on a daily basis, and it would a travesty for the local community and students to lose that precious green space.

I am a parent of teenagers who both attend Lambton High School, and are Newcastle Basketball members and players.

It is without a doubt that a new Basketball Stadium is desperately needed, however this proposed site is absolutely the wrong location.

I vehemently oppose to this development on this site 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.
Concerns over funding. Construction costs have risen over 30% in recent years. How is this infrastructure project being funded, and where are contingency funds being sourced from?
The community and local authority will be stuck with the bill and funding the project in a location the local community would rather keep as green space.

Over 70% of original submissions were opposed to development at this site. If approval occurs, it would just prove that there is little regard to listening to the wishes of the majority of the community. It is important to point out that the majority of the community supports a new facility – it is just the wrong location!

The process of reviewing the proposal and all associated documentation has identified the following key issues and raise questions about the cost of this project if it were to be approved on both the local community and Lambton High School (LHS) community.

· The footprint of the proposed building has expanded, meaning the initial oval space / green space LHS could use is now non-existent.
· LHS currently pays the City of Newcastle (CoN) to access Wallarah Oval on an annual basis for daily student activity (PE, sport, general recreation during breaks). It also serves as the key evacuation point for staff and students in the case of an emergency. This space will no longer be available. Where can staff and students safely be evacuated to?
· The HISC proposed building height has increased from the original design. Why? What impact will this have on the southern classrooms regarding amenity and light?
· Newcastle Basketball states that LHS can access Arthur Edden Oval
and Harker Oval. This is apparently not correct and if Newcastle Basketball community are spreading this incorrect information, it can only be to try and benefit Newcastle Basketballs cause and seeking support at Lambton High Schools detriment. false. Advice from CoN to LHS states that without doubt Arthur Edden Oval is a National Premier League (soccer/football) ground with no option to access. Harker Oval is the home base for West Rugby League and West Cricket, and again no option to access. Why are the proponents of HISC spreading misinformation?
· Impact during the construction period has been ignored. Construction is proposed over a three-year period from 7am-6pm Monday to Friday. LHS students will be onsite to undertake assessments and exams and learning in general. How is this conducive to a supportive learning environment?
This summary skims the surface on how LHS will be impacted, not to mention our local community. Already residents deal with the impact of
events at Hunter Stadium almost all 52 weeks of each year.
As per the summary provided by the “Save our local ovals” community group; the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre:
“… is unfit for approval. It fails residents, it fails basketball participants, it
fails planning principles, and it fails the taxpayer. A project of this scale must
be located in a suitable precinct, with sound design, governance, and
funding – not imposed on an already congested residential and school-
adjacent site with no precedent.”

My opinion and I know that of the Lambton High School community is that the HISC is much needed, and would be a welcome asset to the Hunter community. Although the concept is right, Wallarah and Blackley Ovals are absolutely the wrong location.

Please do not allow this project to be approved, which would result in irreversible damage and loss to the community.

Key Objections
1. Loss of Open Green Space and Community Recreation Areas
Wallarah and Blackley Ovals have long served as valuable public assets, providing critical open green space for passive recreation, dog walking, family gatherings, and casual sporting use. The proposed development would result in:
The loss of vital community recreational land, with few nearby alternatives available.
The privatization or restricted access of previously public spaces, limiting community engagement and wellbeing.
2. Environmental and Ecological Impact
The area surrounding the ovals includes established vegetation and local wildlife habitat. Concerns include:
Tree removal and habitat destruction, particularly for native birds, possums, and insects.
Increased impermeable surfaces, leading to greater stormwater runoff and erosion risks.
Potential light and noise pollution, impacting both local residents and native fauna.
3. Inadequate Infrastructure and Traffic Impact
The surrounding road network is not designed to support the volume of traffic that a large basketball complex would attract:
Increased traffic congestion on narrow local roads.
Insufficient parking on-site and overflow into residential streets, causing inconvenience and safety risks.
Pedestrian safety concerns, especially for children and elderly residents using the surrounding streets and pathways.
4. Impact on Local Residents and Amenity
The proposed development risks undermining the quiet, residential character of the area:
Extended operational hours, including night-time lighting and event noise, will severely impact quality of life.
Devaluation of property values due to increased traffic, noise, and loss of natural views.
Loss of peaceful community space and disruption of established community use patterns.
5. Lack of Genuine Community Consultation
Many local residents were unaware of the proposed plans until recently and feel excluded from the decision-making process:
Transparency issues, including inadequate community engagement and unclear communication of the development’s scale and impact.
Failure to properly consider alternative sites better suited to high-capacity sporting infrastructure.
6. Inconsistency with Zoning and Strategic Planning Objectives
The proposed use is incompatible with the existing zoning, which prioritizes open space, community recreation, and environmental protection.
The development contradicts broader planning objectives around sustainable development, public access to open space, and retention of urban tree canopy.

I man lodging the following submission to STRONGLY oppose the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (hereby known as HISC) project proposed to be built on Blackley/Wallarah Ovals in New Lambton.
Owning and living in a Unit that abutts the proposed stadium, I am highly offended by the complete disregard for myself and my fellow residents of the Unit block when it has come to any information regarding the stadium. Even as late as two weeks before a planned “booking only” open information session, I was advised through social media that a letterbox drop had been made around the surrounding streets inviting those interested to book a place at the information session. Unbelievably, there was no letter dropped in my letterbox, and speaking to other residents, none were dropped in their letterbox either. This stadium, if approved, will greatly effect myself and fellow residents and the common courtesy of an invitation wasn’t forthcoming. Terribly disappointed but certainly not surprising. This has been the attitude of those planning this development from the very beginning. This proposal has been anything but open and transparent.

The following are a number of examples as to why I am totally opposed to the HISC development on the Blackley/Wallarah Ovals location.

TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE SIZE AND SCALE The planned site for this stadium development is completely inappropriate for a number of reasons one of which includes size and scale. The HISC can only be described as disproportionately large for the proposed site. I would even suggest the word “monolithic” wouldn’t be out of place in describing the development. To attempt to squeeze this stadium onto valuable green space located between residential buildings and a local high school defies all logic and common sense. The decision smacks of a “pick and defend” mentality.

TRAFFIC CHAOS.
It is common knowledge amongst all parties involved in this process, whether they be “for” or “against” the stadium, that traffic problems in the surrounding streets are massive especially when the local NRL team The Knights and the local NSL team The Jets are scheduled to play, whether that be day time or night time. The streets are almost in a state gridlock when those events are scheduled. Now with the approval of more International music artists along with the motorcycle nights already regular features in the stadium across the road, you can imagine, without much effort, the problems local residents are faced with on a regular basis. Add to that the lack of respect for local residents with cars very regularly parking illegally across driveways and also parking illegally close to the corner we already have a huge parking problem. Another huge issue associated with the car parking fiasco is with the large number of people showing no regard whatsoever for safety by walking on the roadway rather than on the sidewalk and shared bike path provided. This inappropriate development is going to add to these safety problems exponentially.
Which brings me to an issue that seems to have been completely overlooked in the HISC submission. With the additional traffic generated by this development, I have a great and very real concern for the access of all emergency services vehicles especially the large heavy NSW Fire and Rescue vehicles into and around the local streets. Having recently retired after 37 years in the Fire Brigades (almost 10 of them at the local New Lambton station) I have a very real fear for the safety of residents in the surrounding streets if there happens to be a house fire when those streets are congested as I mentioned earlier. Having driven a fire truck through those streets on a regular day, without the extra Knights/Jets and now basketball crowd I know the potentially deadly situation that could unfortunately become a reality. If unfortunately, there happened to be a house fire in that precinct, the minimum number of fire trucks turned out would be 6. Added to that number would be Police and Ambulance vehicles. As is blatantly obvious, this scenario could quickly become fatal. Please give serious consideration to this issue because it is very real and hadn’t been addressed in any of the NISC paperwork that I have seen.

FLOOD WATER MITIGATION.
The problem/s of dealing with future flooding and rainwater runoff certainly hasn’t been fully addressed in the HISC development plan and is a very real concern to all local residents. The green space and local storm water drains as they are now have a real problem handling the rainwater without having to handle the man made issues that lay ahead if that green space is concreted over.

OWNERS AND RESIDENTS OF THE ADJACENT UNIT COMPLEX IGNORED.
Being an owner of a Unit in the complex adjacent to this proposed HISC development, we have been totally ignored in all facets of this planning process. At every turn we have been completely left out when problems are being discussed. Nobody has mentioned the state or our mental health if this “monolith” is approved. Nothing has been mentioned about our loss of green space. Nothing has been mentioned of the huge increase in the flow of traffic to and from this stadium. Nothing has been mentioned about the invasion of car headlights into our homes as this traffic comes and goes every night of the week. And nothing has been mentioned about the massive concrete wall that will not only be a visual nightmare only metres from our homes but also greatly restricted any natural light from entering our residences.
These issues have not been mentioned, let alone addressed in any of the HISC documents and as I said earlier, my mental health is a very real concern as I have already experienced many sleepless nights worrying about this issue.

Thank you for the opportunity to voice my strong opposition to this proposal.

Peter BERNASCONI
Unit 2
303 Turton Road
New Lambton 2305

I have a strong interest in Lambton Local History and I also have concerns about future flooding. Opposite the proposed site was Hobart Park and it hosted district soccer games, as well as international games [China visited in 1927, as did Czecho-Slovakia]. Hobart Park had a tram stop in Hobart Road (see black circle marked on the attached map). In about 1938, 63 flat blocks of land were sold for housing, between the stormwater drain and Hobart Road. With the loss of that land, the local community lost part of its memory. Hobart Park even boasted an oregon grandstand which was 50m wide x 9m deep x 7m high. These blocks frequently get flooded, as no doubt others have pointed out. Of course, in its day Hobart Park also flooded, and to sell such land to private owners merely transferred that problem to future generations. The construction of an indoor basketball complex plus sealed parking area will make flooding worse for the current house owners and the future generations of people who buy and live in that area. This proposed development makes a poor decision in 1938 much worse should it go ahead with removing the greenspace of Wallarah and Blackley Ovals. Those comments relate to the land which is due south of the stormwater drain, and therefore is outside the proposed basketball site but that land will get impacted if the development is approved. On the proposed basketball site itself, there is an area of historic significance which is very hard to see these days. There were four circular anti-aircraft gun emplacements immediately to the south of Lambton High School. The guns were made of timber, as they were designed to be decoys during WW2, should Japanese reconnaissance planes fly overhead with cameras. At the end of the war, the timber was raided by local families and to my knowledge the last of the people with knowledge of those decoy guns has passed away. [The real gun emplacements were located in Lambton Park, where the swimming centre is now.] I have attached aerial photos from 1954. One attachment shows the unadulterated photo while for the other attachment I have used Photoshop to mark the 4 gun pits.] Further, I have included a photo of wooden anti-aircraft guns in the factory so you can see how real these would have looked during WW2. My objection to the proposed development is twofold - 1. The loss of greenspace due to the development will increase flood damage beyond the footprint of the basketball development and 2. The historical WW2 site - which admittedly is practically lost to local memory - will disappear even further from memory. (Note no-one has ever tried to have the site recognised as such - my research in recent years 'discovered' what had been almost forgotten.) If I might add my third reason for objection, I was a pupil at Newcastle Boys High, which had no green playground within its boundary. However, it adjoined Waratah Park and Oval, so over ninety years at high school the pupils have had seamless access to green fields. I think of my days there and I it would have been devastating if Waratah Park had been converted into an indoor basketball facility! The poor students at Lambton High are facing that situation now.