Residents are invited to provide feedback on a new Strategic Sports Plan for Newcastle due to an increased demand for sportsgrounds.
Following initial consultation with sporting associations, City of Newcastle (CN) is now looking for input from the community regarding current facilities within the LGA, as well as suggestions for future needs.
The public exhibition period closes at 5pm on 11 May.
Executive manager community and recreation Lynn Duffy said the proposal would guide how council improved and invested in its sports fields.
“We want to capture the thoughts and needs of everyone when it comes to sporting infrastructure,” she explained.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, social sports and recreation have been on the rise thanks to activities such as running, walking and unofficial group outdoor games.
“This trend increases the need for our sporting infrastructure to be planned and developed with shared use as a priority.
“That will ensure it can accommodate a predicted population boom and evolving participation tendencies in both organised sport and informal recreation.
“So, we want to know who’s using the grounds, what they are using them for and what sort of upgrades would improve their experience.
“In addition to updating the blueprint, the project will establish clearer frameworks for how City of Newcastle engages with users of its sportsgrounds and outdoor recreation spaces.”
Adopted by the elected council in 2020, the 10-year Strategic Sports Plan was designed to address demand moving forward and inform the ongoing supply, maintenance and upgrade of sporting infrastructure across the LGA.
More than 70% of its recommendations have been partially or fully-delivered.
However, shifting participation trends, climate impacts and competing demands for usable land prompted CN to review and update the strategy.
Chair of council’s Sports Infrastructure Working Party Peta Winney-Baartz said the Strategic Sports Plan provided a crucial framework for investment.
“CN currently invests more than $15 million annually in the maintenance or upgrade of its facilities,” she stated.
“The revised plan will better reflect evolving community needs, define the process for clubs seeking improvements and align planning with other projects such as the Broadmeadow Place Strategy and Southern Beaches Coastal Management Plan.
“A key objective is to review existing infrastructure and improve the quality, accessibility and functionality, creating facilities that support universal access, catering to people with disabilities, families, and older adults, not just high-performance athletes.”
Locals can find out more or make a submission via the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle’s website.
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