An upgraded basketball stadium for NSW’s second largest city is well overdue. This is our nation’s fastest growing junior sport and Newcastle is quickly falling behind almost all other regions in what it can provide. Now is the time to start building. This community has waited too long.

For too long Newcastle has put up with a substandard basketball stadium. I played there when I was a kid in the 1980’s, and now I coach my kids weekly in a stadium with leaks, scoreboards that regularly fail. It’s not good enough. Someone is going to be upset wherever the stadium ends up. Soccer fields are in every suburb so the Jaffas will be able to relocate. Basketball is growing at an exponential rate and it will get so much bigger if we have a facility that belongs in this century.

Newcastle desperately needs a new basketball stadium. My son has played representative basketball for the Newcastle Falcons for the last 2 years and hence we spend a lot of time at the stadium and travelled a lot to other venues within NSW. Comparing our old stadium to other places makes me realise how overdue we are in needing a brand new facility.

This is a vital and necessary resource for the city of Newcastle. I wholeheartedly support this project to improve the health and well-being for future generations. Our current indoor resources are not fit for purpose and immediate action is crucial.

I support this development of this much needed complex for our future basketball players. This is well overdue.

Newcastle needs to offer children across the region a place to play basketball. The basketball stadium will be used by all basketball players and clubs in the area, every night of the week. Not just one or 2 teams from 1 soccer club for half the year. It’s a much better value for money outcome for government.

Newcastle urgently needs a modern indoor sporting facility to support our growing community.
Basketball, netball, futsal, and other sports are struggling with limited access to suitable venues.
A new multi-purpose centre would also benefit schools, community groups, and local events.
It would promote health, inclusion, and youth engagement across the region.
Investing in this facility is investing in Newcastle’s future.

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to express my strong positive support for the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre. As a former Newcastle basketball player, former club manager, Junior Coach and now watching my granddaughter play, I know firsthand, the importance of updating the current stadium to a larger facility, to be known as the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre, to provide more opportunities for our children to play sport all year round.
The proposed Indoor Sports Centre would fill a critical gap and become a true multi-purpose community asset - open seven days a week, 50 weeks a year. The Centre would be designed to welcome everyone providing a safe, inclusive space for physical activities, team building and community connection. The facility can be utilised for competitions, school programs, basketball, futsal, pickleball, volleyball, netball and table tennis. Currently, there is not a facility large enough in the Newcastle Region that allows this opportunity. The increased court capacity will make it a more accessible, year round, indoor sporting facility in our area.
The economic benefits are also clear. The Indoor Sports Centre will create jobs during construction and in its daily operations. It will attract visitors for tournaments and events, benefiting local businesses such as cafes. Most importantly, it will give our young people somewhere to go, something to be part of, and a reason to stay active and engaged.
I urge you to approve and prioritise the development of this much-needed facility. This is an investment in health, inclusion, youth development, and community strength. It is a facility that will serve our area every week of the year and for generations to come. It will have an immediate and lasting impact on the health and well-being of our entire community.

We are very supportive

I am a local resident and strongly oppose the application to build the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) at 24 Wallarah Road & 2 Monash Road, New Lambton.
There are many serious concerns building the development at this site including;
1. Flooding - the site has long been recognised as a flood zone. The green space of the 3 ovals acts as an important sponge in times of heavy rain to reduce the runoff into the stormwater drain. Destruction of this green space will have serious detrimental impacts on residents by increasing the risk of flooding to their properties.
2. Environmental - the many local birds that frequent the ovals will be adversely impacted by more loss of valuable green space.
3. Social - the physical & mental health of the many walkers & cyclists utilising the site will be compromised.
4. Sporting - the many sporting bodies that currently utilise the site will lose their grounds and will need to seek new grounds in an already overpopulated area.
5. Education – these ovals are extensively used by the neighbouring high school and are necessary for the physical & mental wellbeing of students.
6. Destruction of existing amenity - it is criminal to destroy a much loved, utilised and valuable green space used by a wide range of individuals, community groups and flocks of birds to be replaced by a Sports Centre which will inflict environmental damage & will be used by only a select few.
7. Traffic and parking issues – there is limited parking in this area as it is primarily a residential area with narrow streets. The nearby McDonald Jones stadium attracts large crowds causing traffic congestion and an aggravation to this is existing problem is unwarranted.
Please reject the application to build the HISC at 24 Wallarah Road & 2 Monash Road, New Lambton.