Hunter Indoor Sports Centre
09 July 2024
The NSW Government, through the NSW Office of Sport, has provided Newcastle Basketball with $25 million in NSW Government funding to deliver the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre. Newcastle Basketball is the grant recipient, applicant for the development, and operator of the proposed facility.
The Office of Sport and Newcastle Basketball approached City of Newcastle in 2022 to discuss possible sites for the facility in the Newcastle Local Government Area. As the Office of Sport’s grant funding does not provide for purchasing land, the criteria for sites included public ownership (either Council-owned or Crown Land), minimum land size to cater for the facility, appropriate site zoning and proximity to existing transport infrastructure.
The NSW Government has advised that it is not possible to retain the facility within its Hunter Park sporting precinct. The only site that met the criteria is Wallarah Oval, which is Crown Land under City of Newcastle’s care and control.
Further planning approvals, including a development application and approvals from NSW Crown Lands, are required before the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre can proceed – these approvals are the responsibility of Newcastle Basketball, as are all costs associated with the proposal. The development application is considered by the NSW Government to be a State Significant Development so City of Newcastle is not the determining authority for the application.
City of Newcastle has provided in-principle support to enable the development application to progress, however has raised concerns regarding parking and traffic, flooding and stormwater management, and impacts on local residents, which need to be quantified and addressed through the development application process with the NSW Government.
Should the Hunter Indoor Sports Centre be given state planning approval to proceed, City of Newcastle’s priority is to ensure current user groups are no worse off.
City of Newcastle has been engaging with local sporting clubs and associations, and the local high school, to explore and plan upgrades to other nearby local facilities. Subject to relevant approvals, a long-term lease with Newcastle Basketball would enable them to occupy the site to construct and operate the facility. City of Newcastle has highlighted the need for the facility to also be available for other compatible community and sporting uses.
Relevant advocacy regarding Hunter Park can be found here:
