Dear Planning Panel,
I write in my role as General Manager, Community Growth for Basketball NSW, with more than 28 years in sports administration, to express unequivocal support for the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) project.

The proposed centre presents a state-of-the-art facility incorporating multi-purpose indoor courts, allied health suites, a gym and movement studio, café and social spaces, function rooms, accessible changerooms, spectator seating, and ample parking. This new centre is designed as a truly inclusive and vibrant community hub, and is an essential evolution given that Newcastle Basketball’s lease ends for the current location of 27 Young Road Broadmeadow at the end of 2028.

Community & Participation
Through my experience, I have witnessed first-hand the importance of accessible, modern infrastructure in driving grassroots sport participation. HISC’s inclusive facilities will better serve juniors, seniors, people with disabilities, and families, enabling more equitable access to sport and recreation. This aligns with Basketball NSW’s broader commitment to providing pathways and accessible facilities across the state.

Health & Wellbeing
Incorporating allied health, fitness, and movement spaces ensures the centre supports not only competitive sport, but also holistic physical and mental wellbeing. The inclusion of social areas and a café will further enhance community connection and encourage active lifestyles.

Sport Development & Future Capacity
Newcastle Basketball’s programs, spanning junior grassroots, senior competitions, youth leagues, referee development, and coach development, are currently constrained by a saturated facility. It is no longer fit for purpose and does not meet modern compliance standards.

HISC will enable the expansion of pathways, competitions, and training opportunities, supporting the next generation of athletes and officials. It will also allow the Hunter region to attract larger events, delivering significant sport tourism benefits. Basketball NSW would actively advocate for Newcastle to host national and international events, further elevating the region’s profile.

Economic Impact & Social Activation
Beyond sport, this facility will generate jobs, support local businesses through visitor spend, and provide a modern, multi-purpose venue for the broader community. Importantly, these benefits will extend well beyond Newcastle, strengthening the Hunter region as a whole.

Conclusion
From both a strategic and operational standpoint, HISC represents a transformative investment in Newcastle’s social, health, and athletic fabric. I strongly support the SSDA in its re-exhibition version and urge timely approval.
Basketball NSW is committed to working alongside Newcastle Basketball and the Hunter community to ensure this facility reaches its full potential.

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute.
Regards
Geoff Tripp

I am writing in strong support of the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) project, which represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a purpose-built, modern, and accessible indoor sporting and community facility for Newcastle and the Hunter region.

The current Newcastle Basketball Stadium has served the community well for many decades, but it has reached the limits of its capacity, functionality, and accessibility. With the Broadmeadow Place Strategy requiring relocation of the existing venue, this project is not only necessary but also presents the perfect opportunity to deliver a facility that matches the needs of our rapidly growing community, sporting participation rates, and long-term regional planning.

Community Benefits
The HISC has been carefully designed as more than just a basketball venue. It will provide:
- Multi-purpose indoor courts for basketball, netball, futsal, volleyball, and other emerging sports, supporting both grassroots and elite pathways.
- Allied health suites and a gym/movement studio that will promote injury prevention, rehabilitation, and lifelong physical activity.
- Café, social spaces, and function rooms to create a welcoming hub where people can connect, volunteer, and celebrate community.
- Inclusive and accessible facilities, including modern change rooms and spectator seating, ensuring people of all ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds can participate fully.
- Ample car parking to accommodate large events while also easing congestion for day-to-day users.

The vision is clear: a vibrant, welcoming hub that encourages people to be active, connected, and healthy.

Participation and Inclusion
Basketball is already one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia, with diverse participation across age, gender, and cultural backgrounds. Newcastle Basketball has a proud record of fostering inclusion, with strong junior and senior programs, pathways for girls and women, and active engagement with Aboriginal and multicultural communities. The current stadium regularly operates at or beyond capacity, turning people away from programs, competitions, and development opportunities.

The HISC will remove these barriers, opening the door for:
- More junior and grassroots competitions so that no child misses out.
- Expanded senior and social competitions that support community wellbeing.
- Stronger elite development pathways for the Newcastle Falcons and representative athletes.
- Programs for people with disability, older adults, and social inclusion groups, ensuring everyone has a place to participate.

Health and Wellbeing Outcomes
The project goes beyond sport. By embedding allied health services, gym and movement spaces, and active social areas, HISC will contribute significantly to physical, mental, and social wellbeing in our community. It aligns with state and national strategies to increase physical activity, tackle chronic disease, and strengthen community resilience.

The inclusion of allied health suites will directly support injury management, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation services, linking sport with evidence-based health care. This integration of health and sport will be unique in the region.

Economic and Regional Impact
The HISC will bring substantial economic benefits through construction jobs, ongoing employment, and increased visitation. Sporting events, tournaments, and community functions hosted at the centre will draw visitors from across the Hunter, Central Coast, and wider NSW, supporting local hospitality and tourism industries.

By replacing outdated infrastructure with a state-of-the-art, future-ready facility, Newcastle positions itself as a premier regional hub for indoor sport and community events. This project will deliver long-term social and economic returns for decades.

Alignment with the Broadmeadow Place Strategy
The relocation of the existing stadium is a necessity under the Broadmeadow Place Strategy. This project ensures that not only is the lost facility replaced, but it is significantly expanded to meet the needs of a growing population and modern standards. This is a smart, strategic investment in community infrastructure.

Environmental and Planning Considerations
I acknowledge that the SSDA process raised community questions around traffic, parking, noise, and design. I commend the project team for addressing these issues in the updated response to submissions. The revised design balances functionality with environmental responsibility, ensuring the centre is sustainable, safe, and future-proof.

A Legacy for Newcastle and the Hunter
The Hunter Indoor Sports Centre will be more than just bricks and mortar – it will be a legacy project. It will provide opportunities for children discovering sport for the first time, for teenagers chasing their representative dreams, for adults staying fit and socially connected, and for older people continuing to move and belong. It will provide a safe and inclusive space for families, friends, and the wider community to come together.

This is the kind of project that defines a city’s commitment to health, participation, and social inclusion.

Conclusion
The Hunter Indoor Sports Centre is urgently needed, thoughtfully designed, and overwhelmingly positive for our community. It will deliver wide-reaching benefits in health, sport, inclusion, and economic growth, while ensuring that Newcastle and the Hunter region remain leaders in community and sporting infrastructure.

For these reasons, I give my full support to the project and urge decision-makers to approve the SSDA so that this vital facility can move forward without delay.

I am writing as a local parent and active member of the Newcastle community to express my strong support for the proposed Hunter Indoor Sports Centre (HISC) SSDA development. This project is not only overdue but essential for the future of sport, health, and community connection in our region.

The current stadium is outdated and no longer fit for the growing needs of families and young people. Too often, games and training sessions are cancelled due to weather (dangerously slippery floor due roof leaks!), or children are placed on waiting lists because there simply aren’t enough courts. A modern facility would allow sport to be played year-round, in a safe and welcoming environment, regardless of conditions outside.

The new HISC will be far more than a basketball venue. Its design supports a wide range of indoor sports, including futsal, volleyball, pickleball, netball, and tennis. This makes it a true community hub—one that caters to the diverse interests of Newcastle residents and provides opportunities for all ages and abilities to be active.

Increased court capacity will also mean that children are no longer turned away from competitions or training programs due to a lack of space. As a parent, I have seen the disappointment in young players when they miss out on playing basketball as the courts can't support the team numbers required. We also have had to train at unsuitable times for young children (very early or very late) to get access to courts. The new facility ensures that enthusiasm and potential are nurtured, not stifled.

Beyond sport, the wider benefits of this development are significant. The HISC will strengthen pathways for talented athletes, while at the same time encouraging participation from those simply seeking fun and fitness. It will provide a safe and inclusive space that fosters social connection, builds resilience in young people, and improves physical and mental well-being across the community. Importantly, its accessible design ensures that no one is excluded, regardless of ability.

Newcastle deserves a facility that matches the passion and growth of its sporting community. The HISC SSDA is a forward-looking investment that will serve families now and for generations to come. I strongly urge approval of this project.

A great Asset to the community in a central location, well overdue. Let’s get it built!

Inappropriate site selection, loss of green space, too great of an impact on surrounding community.

As a keen sportsperson I am fully supportive of the new Hunter Stadium in the location indicated. I play Pickleball there nearly every week and I also have a Grandson who plays representative Basketball there. The current stadium is badly in need of repair and leaks whenever it rains making it dangerous to play on. Newcastle is a growing area and sport is so important to the well being of young people in particular. There has been a lot of argy bargy about the location but I believe the proposed stadium and the location is going to be ideal and am fully supportive of it going ahead as soon as possible

Newcastle residents desperately need a stadium once the old one closes.
The marketown and university outdoor courts are at capacity on any given afternoon. The junior and senior leagues are so popular that 10pm slots had to start to meet competition demands. Not to mention the pickleball and volleyball players.
A major city with out a stadium would be very disappointing.
It seems like a perfect location with a park that is rarely used and with another large park just behind it, it will still give locals green space to play outside sports.

Wrong location. Already used for other sports and schools. Traffic is already a problem and this will add to it.

I am writing on behalf of the New Lambton Public School Parents and Citizens Association to object to the revised proposal for the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre. New Lambton Public School (NLPS) is a feeder school for Lambton High School (LHS) and we are submitting our objection on behalf of our future high school students.


The issues that were raised in our first submission have not been addressed in the further information provided and the proposed alterations have a further negative impact on the students of LHS.


Our first submission highlighted the critical role Wallarah and Blackley Ovals play in allowing the students of LHS access to green space for sport, PDHPE and recreational activities at break times. Accessing similar green space locally will require walking to Ford and Kentish Ovals, which will necessitate crossing roads and teacher supervision, limiting student access. The new reports highlight ‘green space’ in the local area- but these facilities are either locked District grounds (Arthur Edden Oval and Harker Ova) or facilities that are not freely and publicly accessible (Hockey Centre and Knights Centre of Excellence). The original proposal had 30m of green space for students to access, but this has now been removed. Our students at NLPS have limited access to green space due to the school site and look forward to attending LHS with more space accessible. NLPS also relies on using Local sports grounds hired from City of Newcastle Council, including Kentish and Ford Ovals, and there will be extra demand placed on these facilities to accommodate extra usage by LHS. LHS already has on site indoor and covered hard court sports facilities and removing green space for purported access to the HISC is of no benefit. Green space is necessary for the mental and physical wellbeing of our young adults.


The information provided in the submission indicates a very large shortfall in the funding of this proposed development and no information as to how the extra funding will be achieved. The construction of this development will take many years to complete, and if stages of construction are unfunded the time period that the school will be dealing with an active construction zone next door will be prolonged. This will inevitably cause disruption in terms of noise, dust and parking inconvenience.


Whilst we recognise that a new stadium is necessary for the sport of basketball in the region, the proposed location is extremely detrimental to the current and future students of Lambton High School. This development should be built on a different site to ensure the positive benefits of sport does not have such a negative impact on the local community.

This is greatly needed for the local sports community.