City of Newcastle Council has announced a plan to reshape its Strategic Sports Plan to enable more women and girls to train and compete, and to better meet the needs of an expanding population.
Adopted by the elected Council in December 2020, the original 10-year plan was designed to address future demand and inform the ongoing supply, maintenance and upgrade of sporting infrastructure across the Local Government Area.
The Council has already delivered or commenced 78 of the plan’s 93 recommendations, with more than $20 million invested into new and upgraded infrastructure over the past three years, but says the rapid growth of women’s sport and a predicted population boom as part of the Broadmeadow Place Strategy have brought forward the need to update the plan.
Executive Manager Community and Recreation, Lynn Duffy said the Council was committed to continuing collaboration with clubs and associations as part of the updated Strategic Sports Plan.
“We’re proud to work closely with our local clubs and governing bodies on the need for facility upgrades, ensuring players at every level of their chosen sport and the community have continued access to high quality sporting and leisure opportunities,” Ms Duffy said.
“In recent years this collaboration has led to the development of more inclusive, accessible and female-friendly facilities and amenities.
“That includes upgrades at Myers Park and Lugar Park, as well as major grandstand redevelopment projects at Darling Street Oval and Passmore Oval worth almost $6 million.”
Sports Infrastructure Working Party chair, Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz, said the need for facilities that support universal access is greater than ever.
“We know that a governing body such as Northern NSW Football has set a goal of having 30,000 female participants by 2026 and they’ll all need somewhere to train and play,” Cr Winney-Baartz said.
“The Strategic Sports Plan covers 12 other field-based sports including athletics, AFL, baseball, cricket, croquet, equestrian, netball, rugby league, rugby union, softball, tennis, and touch football/Oztag.
“If you take into consideration the Broadmeadow Place Strategy, we’re likely to see a population increase of 40,000 residents in that area alone, so we need to ensure we’re getting maximum use out of the 152 fields City of Newcastle manages.
“Reviewing the plan will help us secure State and Federal government funding for new and upgraded sporting facility bathrooms, change rooms and lighting, while we also continue to upgrade everything from field layout to drainage and irrigation.”
The Council will call for expressions of interest for an independent consultant to update the Strategic Sports Plan in the next financial year.
