City of Newcastle has begun determining the preferred layout for a new district level sports facility in Maryland, using community feedback to inform the final masterplan.
More than 120 submissions were received from sporting associations, clubs and individuals during the public exhibition period for the Creek Road sporting precinct, with over 90% in favour of the draft concept plans.
City of Newcastle's Executive Manager Community and Recreation Lynn Duffy said the project has generated interest from a wide range of stakeholders.
"We heard from 106 individuals, six sporting associations and nine local clubs," Ms Duffy said.
"They represented a variety of codes including football, rugby league, cricket, tennis, netball, cycling, touch football and Oz tag.
"As we move toward the design phase, we'll consider all submissions alongside established criteria such as participation trends, female participation, potential for growth and shared use, to guide the most suitable sporting codes and layout for the site."
The sporting facilities will be located on a five-hectare parcel of land, which sits at the south-western corner of a larger 30-hectare site at Creek Road owned by City of Newcastle.
Community members were invited to share their views on two concepts, which both included one all year-round rectangular field and one cricket field with four turf wickets.
Two additional rectangular fields or one AFL field were proposed as part of the two options.
Almost 34% of respondents want football to be accommodated at the five-hectare site, with 22% advocating for multi-sport facilities.
The draft masterplan also includes a dual-facing grandstand with change rooms, a canteen, storage facilities and public amenities.
Open spaces for training, cricket practice nets, fitness stations, car parking, new trees and landscaping are also proposed.
Chair of City of Newcastle's Sports Infrastructure Working Party, Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz, said the key theme of the feedback was ensuring the site is a multisport space.
"As Minmi, Fletcher, Maryland and surrounding suburbs continue to attract more families it's clear we need to accommodate a range of sporting codes at Creek Road," Cr Winney-Baartz said.
"The community emphasised the need to facilitate female participation, with a desire for the grounds to have modern drainage and irrigation, and for the site to have adequate parking options.
"As the site contains a mix of natural areas including wetlands, the project will be designed to ensure the surrounding natural environment is also celebrated and protected, allowing for a range of active and passive recreation opportunities to co-exist within the precinct."
Once the final masterplan has been developed, it will be presented to the elected Council for adoption next year.
Detailed design work is expected to commence in the 2026/27 financial year.
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 allocation of grounds to specific sporting clubs will form a separate process during a later stage of the development.
