I support the project for a relocation of the stadium which will be a major improvement.

This basketball stadium hosts thousands of hunter children each week. It is crumbling and dangerous. We have to be vigilant with our young children when watching our older kids play as there is many dangerous spots they could fall between or under all around the bleachers. It is horrifically hot in summer and there is large holes in the roof.

It is an important gathering spot in the heart of the city of Newcastle and serves so many in our community.

I would like to play basketball, please help us build a new stadium.

I think it will be good for the community

I am the carer of a basketball player. From everything that I’ve read, the only concern about traffic is on Turton Road as it will have the only entry and exits to the basketball stadium. A major point that has not been considered is the fact that Turton Road has a fenced medium strip dividing it. So if you’re coming from my direction (South-East, which a large part of the basketball community do) we can’t turn right to head home. We will all be exiting left via Turton, greeted instantly by traffic lights that are always changing, so I can only imagine how long it will take to navigate a busy road as well as lights just to exit the carpark. We will then be using Young Road, Womboin Road, Wallarah Road and then try and get back onto (an already busy) Lambton Road. Now, if you’re travelling from the North-West, you won’t be able to enter from Turton Road directly due to the fenced medium strip. Your entry will be via Young Road, Womboin Road, Monash Road then back onto (an already very busy) Turton Road. All these steps will need to be repeated if the carpark is full (which I anticipate will be often). Now add a Knights or Jets game into the mix and it will be complete madness.

Subject: Objection to Development Application for Proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre adjacent to Lambton High School

Dear Council,

I am writing to formally lodge my concerns regarding the Development Application (DA) for the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre adjacent to Lambton High School. After reviewing the publicly available plans, I have identified several issues that I believe require serious attention and could potentially render the project unfeasible from both an engineering and community impact standpoint.

Firstly, the site appears to have significant drainage and infrastructure challenges that have not been adequately addressed in the plan. There are two trunk sewer mains and a drainage easement running through the middle of the proposed building footprint. This is highly problematic from an engineering perspective, as building over essential infrastructure such as sewer mains poses both long-term maintenance issues and potential structural risks. Relocating or rerouting these services would likely result in substantial additional costs and could delay the project.

Furthermore, the land in question is classified as flood-prone. This raises concerns about the feasibility of constructing a large indoor facility without proper flood mitigation measures in place. I see no clear evidence in the DA that sufficient space has been allocated for on-site detention of stormwater, which is essential to manage runoff and prevent downstream flooding. In an area already prone to flooding, adding impervious surfaces without adequate stormwater management will only exacerbate the risk.

In addition to the technical concerns, it is important to highlight the impact this project will have on Lambton High School and its students. The school currently uses the fields where the proposed stadium is to be built. This open space is crucial for physical education, sporting activities, and recreational use. Reducing access to outdoor spaces will limit opportunities for students and could negatively affect the school’s ability to deliver a well-rounded educational experience.

Given the significant engineering, environmental, and community-related concerns, I strongly urge the Council to reconsider the approval of this DA or, at the very least, request a thorough reassessment of the project’s feasibility, addressing these critical issues.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,
Kasumi Mitchell
0401631059

I object to the proposed due to poor site location, traffic flow, flooding concerns, a reduction of green space. This proposed area is important to multiple sports, Lambton High School and countless children in the area.

I encourage the department to look into the numbers of participants that proponent has suggested will use the facility, as these numbers are known to be largely over exaggerated by all sports.


There are better sites in Newcastle. Other sports, rate payers and locals should not have to suffer so a minority sport can have a facility they already have in Broadmeadow.

Support.

I do not believe the location for the new Hunder Indoor Sports Centre is suitable due to the following reasons:
1/ Currently the location is being utilised by both Junior Soccer, Junior and Adult Cricket and the students of New Lambton High School. Where will these participants and students go to access healthy lifestyle options, sporting activities and required school activities? They are being punished for insufficient planning.
2/ These open playing fields and recreational area are utilised by residents for their own healthy lifestyle options.
3/ When the Newcastle Knights are playing the local streets are overloaded with cars due to limited parking. If the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre is approved I am concerned about the extra vehicles requiring parking in the area ( the proposal states one show court with a retractable grandstand seating 2500 people).
4/ When the Newcastle Knights and Lambton Jaffas are playing at the same time, parking issues are worse - this would only be compounded with the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre.
5/ McDonald Jones Stadium has started hosting major events - international music stars. Again with the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre wanting to locate at this site - parking would be worse than with point 4.
6/ The previous proposal was refused by the Joint Regional Planning Panel on the grounds of adverse traffic impacts on local residents. To avoid any such concerns, the proposed basketball stadium will feature a lane exiting Turton Road to avoid any disruption to existing traffic, and to ensure vehicles are away from Lambton High School. I do not believe this will help us (the local residents and Lambton High School). With the number of extra vehciles travelling on this busy road and surrounding roads everyday, the extra stopping of traffic due to traffic lights, I believe would create bottle necks in traffic. Therefore, creating unsafe conditions for both drivers, pedestrians, students and cyclists. It also then ripples through and affects not just local residents but other users of the roads, pathways and local cycleways.
7/ The open green space should not be impacted by massive cement buildings and a parking lot.
8/ The area is known as a flood-prone area and I have concerns with the amount of green space being taken away and the massive cement buildings and parking lot causing issues with water runoff and contributing to excess stormwater runoff, and the possibility of increasing flooding.
9/ The Hunter Indoor Sports Centre has already been rejected in areas and I believe this was a hasty decision.
10/ The Hunter Park Project/Plan is being developed to house state-of-the-art sporting facilities, green space and entertainment facilities - why hasnt' area been considered as the location for the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre.
11/ More consideration needs to be given to the location of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre. I do agree a new and improved Basketball Stadium is required but the location on both Blackey and Wallarah Ovals is NOT the location.

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