Basketball is a popular sport and there is already a demand in Newcastle which cannot be met by existing facilities and many children wishing to play basketball are missing out. A new facility is needed to cater to the sport to encourage active kids interested in participating in team sports. Basketball is a great sport as there is little travel involved and it is never called off due to weather as it is played indoors. This development needs to go ahead.

I would like to object to this proposal for the following reasons:

Loss of green space: I use these ovals daily as my regular exercise routine. On my walks I connect with members of the community. Being exposed to green space benefits my mental health by reducing depression, anxiety and stress. I would be very distressed to lose access to this free public green space.
Traffic and parking issues: This area is congested daily by regular commuters. When there are events on at McDonald Jones stadium (crowd capacity 30,000 – Knights and Jets games and concerts) the area becomes unbearable and I find it difficult to leave my home. People park across my driveway and it becomes very difficult to get in and out of my property. The EIS suggests 22,000 people per week will access the indoor stadium – this is approx. 3000 per day. There are 220 carparks planned – where will everybody else park? I am assuming in the residential streets as they do on “game days”. The traffic report has allowed for an extra 30 cars per hour on Turton road, this doesn’t fit with Newcastle Basketballs prediction of 500 visitors per hour during peak times.
Flooding: The area is a known flood zone. Currently, the 3 ovals act as a giant sponge during times of heavy rain – absorbing a lot of water and keeping it away from residential homes. I am concerned where the water will go when it is covered by a concrete slab and building. I have recently had difficulty obtaining home insurance due to the known flood risks in the area.
Cost of project: I am aware Newcastle basketball received a $25 million grant from the state government. The budget report indicates the cost for the full build is $90 million +. How can approval be given to a project that can not guarantee funding approval? I am concerned the 3 ovals will be destroyed and taken from current users for half a basketball stadium.
Impact on Lambton High: The 1200 students of Lambton high use these 3 ovals daily for PE, sport, lunch and recess breaks and it is their emergency evacuation point. The EIS suggests they can walk down the road to use other local ovals. This is not practical as it will require a risk assessment and permission slip as is considered an excursion. The impact on teachers of moving classes of children a distance will be taxing. The EIS suggests the basketball stadium will have a positive impact for the students of Lambton high as they will have paid access to the building. Lambton high already have 2 covered basketball courts and 2 outdoor ½ courts – they do not need access to more hard surfaces, they need green space and grass

I support the growth of basketball in Newcastle

Both my niece and nephew play club and representative basketball. We we enjoy going to watch them and find it a great outing for our family. The Hunter needs a stadium to support this!

My children both play basketball 4-5 times per week. Out exisiting stadium is beyond repair and to not have a space planned for them beyond the next couple of years is so detrimental to our family

The basketball community needs a new facility.

Our son loves basketball more than anything else, it keeps him fit, socialised, and off the video games and off the streets. To take this away from him like hundreds and thousands of other would be detrimental for our youths. This is a growing sport that the current stadium has already outgrown. Support the youth and sport!!

See attached for objection statement and relevant support documents.