City of Newcastle unveils plans for new sporting precinct

The City of Newcastle has revealed plans to transform an undeveloped five-hectare site in the suburb of Maryland into its first new district level sports facility in more than two decades.

Concept plans were unveiled yesterday for the Creek Road sporting precinct, which could include up to four new multi-use fields, a dual-facing grandstand with changerooms, public amenities and a car park.

Enclosed cricket practice nets, spectator seating, shared paths and fitness stations are also proposed in the staged draft masterplan.

The five-hectare parcel sits at the south-western corner of a larger 30-hectare site at Creek Road, which contains a mix of natural areas including wetlands.

The development of the draft masterplan was welcomed by City of Newcastle Councillors Callum Pull, Elizabeth Adamczyk and Deahnna Richardson, who said this was a significant investment to meet the needs of the booming western suburbs.

Councillor Pull stated “we’re working to address current and future demand for sporting infrastructure across the city, and in our western suburbs.

“As part of this, we’re planning for a new district level sports facility in the Western Corridor Urban Release Area to support our growing western suburbs.

“This will be the first time City of Newcastle has delivered a completely new sporting facility of district level standard from a undeveloped site for many decades, if not longer.

“It is important that we also acknowledge and thank the local community members and groups who have engaged with Council and helped us to progress this project.”

Councillor Adamczyk said this would be a landmark project for the city’s western suburbs, adding “our long-term Strategic Sports Plan is a commitment to building the recreational and sporting facilities needed to service the existing and growing population in Newcastle's western suburbs like Fletcher, Maryland, Minmi and Wallsend, which have experienced population increases of around 50% during the past decade, and with many more younger families making their home in this key centre of the city.

“This milestone marks the beginning of consultation with our sporting associations, clubs and community to ensure this critical new infrastructure meets their needs, and reinforces Council’s commitment to enhancing green spaces and fields for passive and active recreation that will be enjoyed by generations to come.”

The project is likely to be delivered in stages during the next five to 10 years, with the support of government funding and external partnerships.

The public exhibition will help inform considerations around what sports and supporting amenities might be accommodated within the site, to determine a final layout before detailed designs are undertaken.

The allocation of grounds to specific sporting clubs will form a separate process during a later stage of the development.

City of Newcastle classifies all reserves used for sport as either regional, district or local, based on their size, level of facilities and usage profiles.

District level facilities are well developed spaces of substantial size that offer a broad range of quality recreation opportunities. They attract visitors from across a number of suburbs.

Newcastle currently has 10 district level sports facilities, including Adamstown No.1, Darling St Oval and Passmore Oval.

Images show concept option renders for the Creek Road sporting precinct. Credit: City of Newcastle.