Maitland City Council plans to convert a parcel of land into a community sportsground has been scrapped following the discovery of a protected species of bird in the area.
Council-owned land along Billabong Parade in Chisholm will now be used as public open space to support the area’s growing community, the Council has announced.
The discovery of Latham’s Snipe (pictured), a species of bird protected under the Federal Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, means the location is not suitable for the type of facilities and sporting fields needed to provide value to the community, the Council said in a statement.
Instead, the 4.5-hectare site will be public open space that can support recreational activity, including potential walking trails, natural playspaces and large open space.
Council General Manager, Jeff Smith said the space cannot accommodate the modern facilities and infrastructure expected for sporting grounds, including bright lights and sporting nets.
“While we can’t progress a state-of-the-art sports complex in the area, we will continue to consider what can be done there and in the meantime we can give the people of Chisholm another open space to gather and enjoy the local area,” Mr Smith said.
“We know our local sporting teams and clubs are a big part of what makes Maitland a great community, and it is our job to help find, build and maintain good fields and amenities in the right locations – like we are doing with Chisholm Sports Complex on Suncroft Street which is due to be completed next year and features two mixed sports fields across two hectares, toilets, showers, change rooms, cricket nets and a dedicated playground.
“We’ll also continue to investigate other locations that could offer the right space for more sporting facilities in the area in line with our Community Infrastructure Strategy.”
For more on Chisholm Sports Complex, visit mait.city/ChisholmSportsComplex.
