i don’t want it

This facility is long overdue and is a much-needed resource for the greater Newcastle area. Basketball is a growth sport in Australia and has seen a surge in numbers over the last decade. A recent nationwide AusPlay survey revealed that Basketball is the most popular team sport, alongside soccer, for 15 to 24-year-olds and third for participation for 5 to 14-year-olds. Provision of an up-to-date indoor facility in the region is expected to attract 35,000 visitors annually for special events, boosting the local economy, particularly within the Newcastle LGA. One-third of visitors will come from outside the area, spending an average of $144 each. The project will create 260 construction jobs (115 direct) and 91 operational jobs (52 direct). Additionally, relocating Newcastle Basketball will free up the current facility site for redevelopment, supporting the Broadmeadow Place Strategy.
I, myself played basketball at the current basketball stadium around 30 years ago, when I was growing up. Now at around 55 years old, this facility is very run down, outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Games are regularly called off due to rain or extreme heat, and there are not enough courts to house increasing demand for the sport. The poor state of current facilities not only pose a safety risk but also disrupt events and limits the capacity to support sports like Badminton, Futsal, and Netball, which lack adequate indoor spaces in the region. Years of under-investment have left local sports groups without proper facilities. The indoor sports of the Newcastle region have suffered from significant under-investment for decades, and now is the time to correct that imbalance.
My own children now play basketball at the current stadium. Unfortunately, due to lack of court availability my 9 year old daughter and many others, are unable to play over the summer season as the teams were at capacity. If a larger complex was available, more teams would be able to play and this would not be an issue. The government should be supporting opportunities for the people of the Hunter Region to engage in physical activity. This new inclusive facility would enable community members of all ages to access modern, indoor sports facilities for a variety of purposes. With projected population growth in the region, the HISC is a timely investment to meet future demand and promote greater community engagement and well-being.
I strongly encourage you to support this development.

It is time to build a new future for Newcastle that includes facilities that are going to have a lasting impact on the community. The location of the stadium makes sense and will work in well with Newcastle council’s proposal for a medium density housing and shops precinct in and around this location. Along with a much needed light rail link to provide greater access to this area from Broadmeadow train station and other areas of Newcastle, the location has a chance to become a sporting hub for Newcastle. The sports centre will also provide much needed infrastructure to replace ageing facilities and will bring tourism and greater opportunities for Newcastle residents. This proposal has gone through many gates to this point and has t is now time that our government takes decisive action to finally make these plans a reality.

Newcastle is in desperate need of a venue to accommodate the huge increase in people playing basketball and to provide a comfortable venue for spectators, both for local competitions and representative sport.

We have used the existing stadium for many years and suffered through extreme heat, cancellations due to water coming through the roof, cancellations due to slippery surfaces from humidity, very late games due to lack of courts.

We often travel to alternate locations for games which are much further away.

The proposed location is central to many clubs and not far from the Newcastle sporting precinct. It is a great area for visitors from outside the region to attend sport also and will be an asset to the city of Newcastle.

Regards,
Kelly Freeman

The current stadium was out grown years ago. Please ensure new stadium has easy links to public transport and parking.

The construction of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre would not only benefit the residents of the Hunter Region, but it would also benefit basketball players from around the state and country. The lack of suitable facilities to host major national and international events in NSW means that our members miss out on the opportunity to compete in local venues, and only adds to the cost of playing the sport. The presence of this type of venue in the state will open up so many opportunities for visitors to come to your region and contribute to your local economy.

The challenge of managing outdated and unfit for purpose venues is known only too well by this association, and we support Newcastle Basketball’s application to construct the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre because it is an investment needed across the state. Our association regularly turns away people that want to play the great game of basketball, whilst also having to juggle significant demand from other user groups which means inevitably someone is denied the opportunity to participate in their chosen sport or pastime. This investment is greatly needed for the Newcastle region, and should be considered a positive step in addressing the chronic shortage of indoor sports facilities.

The Illawarra Basketball association and it’s members support Newcastle Basketball Association’s application to construct the new Hunter Indoor Sports Centre as we have teams and athletes that regularly visit their current facility in Broadmeadow and we believe it is outdated, no longer fit for purpose and in desperate need of being replaced. Our members who compete against Newcastle Basketball have experienced first-hand the impacts of the current stadiums limitations and risks, and we would be very supportive of their application to construct a new facility.

I support this project in the strongest possible terms.
The extremely comprehensive documentation forming part of the actual SSDA positively deals with all the possible issues affecting this development.
In addition the construction of this stadium will have positive onflow benefits for both the general physical wellbeing of the Newcastle population but also the economic wellbeing of the area.
I am aware of the objections being raised by a small but vocal group of local residents.All of their objections are dealt with in the supporting documentation however this group continues to ignore the responses.
Alternative sites are proposed however none of those sites are viable or available in the required timeframe.
The proposed development must proceed immediately if Newcastle is to truly move into the future and maintain its status as a major regional centre of NSW.
Thankyou

I am opposed to the proposed development of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre at Wallarah and Blackley Ovals at New Lambton. There is already a facility in Broadmeadow with adequate space for further development, if required. The location of the proposed development is highly unsuitable for the following reasons:
1. It is located in a flood-prone area adjacent to the old Newcastle airfield which was regularly subjected to flooding until the drainage channels were installed;
2. The ovals are used regularly by local football and cricket clubs and a development on this site would represent a significant loss of amenity to the suburb of New Lambton;
3. The ovals are adjacent to Lambton High School which also makes significant use of these grounds for school sport and other activities;
4. I do not believe that the NSW Government, or its planning department, have carried out sufficient engagement with the community. In the EIS, it states that engagement has been carried out with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, NSW Office of Sport, Transport for NSW, Local MPs, Local Aboriginal Land Council, Newcastle City Council, Newcastle Basketball Association and Lambton High School. Nowhere does it state that engagement has been carried out with the local community directly affected and the sporting clubs that currently use the fields.

I remind the NSW Government that there is significant community opposition to this project, which led to the removal of a longstanding Labor mayor in favour of an independent mayor in the last council election. The feeling in this community is still very strong about this project. While Newcastle is home to a number "safe" Labor seats, the Government is reminded not test the resolve of the community to let the Government know when it feels that it has not been listened to.

Yours faithfully
James Beckwith

I object to the proposal based on the proposed location. While the hunter region is in need of an updated facility, this should never be at the expense of parks and green space. There are plenty of other sites in Newcastle which could be repurposed for this facility.

Myself and my son play basketball and agree the current stadium needs knocking down and a rebuild. However not at the proposed site in Broadmeadow. There is no consideration for other sports taken out during the building phase. The site is a flood zone, lacks parking and doesn't have the infrastructure to back it up. I've also heard that the new stadium will not be built with a full size playing court so cannot hold mens international tournaments. The amount of money being spent should include this so it will make more money in the future and make Newcastle Basketball known internationally and nationally. It would need to provide more courts than they currently have as basketball in the area has outgrown this facility. There is so much land available throughout Lake Macquarie and possibly Newcastle that will not impact other sports or residential areas. The argument of a train line nearby is useless as the majority of the people using the facility are local and drive. Putting it across the road from a well used stadium, near the Entertainment Centre and other major services in the area is creating more traffic in a place that lacks the infrastructure to support it. It would be horrendous getting to any of these facilities if more than one event was on at the same time. A great idea that needs to happen, very poor planning for the location and the lack of consideration to the sports it would impact is disgraceful.