This application should be supported given it will not result in significant environmental or social impact and is in the public interest.
The sport of basketball is quickly growing in popularity and the current facilities for Newcastle Basketball are inadequate to cater for the growth in the sport. The current facility has long been in disrepair, with a leaking roof and is potentially structurally unstable, risking the safety of the community. It is the only indoor sporting venue where games are called off due to rain or heat.
It is acknowledged that the proposed location is not supported by a section of the community, however the proposed site is seen as a last resort, with other suitable locations and development applications previously being rejected due to similar community concerns.
Newcastle Basketball are being forced out of their current facility. It would make sense to knock down and re-build on the current site however this is not possible given land use conflict with the proposed Broadmeadow Place Strategy. As I understand, the organisation only has four more years in which to vacate the premises, at which time if another facility is not built, there will be a serious blow to the future of the sport in Newcastle.
A state significant development application can take years to prepare and the construction of the facility could be another 1-2 years. It is therefore not feasible to withdraw the application and find an alternative site as this would not meet the timing restrictions for the current facility and the sport would have no home.
Newcastle Basketball are currently turning away hundreds of children and young adults who wish to engage in the sport because they simply do not have the facilities to accommodate the demand. We should always promote children wanting to exercise and obtain social interaction through sport.
The facility is also an embarrassment to the city of Newcastle with professional NBL1 games televised across the country. The Newcastle facility is decrepit in comparison to other basketball organisations in Maitland, Central Coast and Sydney. As NSW' second largest city we deserve a state of the art facility as soon as possible.
Despite some degree of localised community objection for this site, for the greater public interest the development should be approved for the benefit of citizens of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas.

This is taking away more than it is providing. The area this space is planning to take up is used by Lambton High students who have no other field space available to them. There is other space much more suitable for this project. This will harm the community more than it will benefit.

These are my objections to the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre are as follows.
An abundance of bird life using this green space on a constant and daily basis. There has been a lot of clearing of trees in the nearby suburb of Jesmond, New Lambton Heights, due to major road works and since the clearing the bird life has increased substantially here. Corellas, cockatoos, kookaburras, swallows, native pigeons, rosellas, lorikeets, tawny frogmouths, herons, magpies, crows, peewees, are amongst the birds using this area, all will be displaced with of the building of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre.
In the last few days it has come to my notice that an outdoor gym is planned for directly across the road from my house, as this area has an Ausgrid light illuminating the footbridge across the stormwater drain it will be available 24/7. As our bedrooms are at the front of the house, I am concerned this area will be utilized by late night and perhaps intoxicated people leaving the nearby West League Club venue. This equipment will also retain flood debris in the event of heavy rainstorm. The area at the back of the proposed stadium was originally stated as being reserved for Lambton High School sports, now has these plans changed two 2 half courts for basketball removing Lambton High completely from this space. Other concerns are flooding, from drain and surrounding area, and traffic chaos within the precinct and on surrounding streets.

I object to this project in New Lambton

I object to this project

I don't think we need what is in the proposal even as a person who played basketball as a kid I know that space won't be used to its full capacity and that the green space is a place as a kid i used to play in I think it is important to keep our green spaces because we are getting rid of all green spaces in Newcastle and making our city ugly it will look worse then it did when we had all the industry in the heart of Newcastle and I think money will be spent on something that will never get it back so it will just be a waste of taxpayers money

Please refer to attached PDF for my objection to this project

I object to this development as per the attached document.