Image Caption: Hills sporting clubs unite with Council to campaign for more fields.
New sporting teams in Box Hill are being forced to play home games in Berala because the local sporting field network cannot cope with the booming north-west Sydney population.
The Hills Shire Council is calling on the NSW Government to help fund the delivery of 40 new playing fields to meet surging demand and support the region's growing population, as part of its Fight for a Fairer Hills Future campaign.
While 31 have partial funding through contributions plans and other sources, nine fields in Cherrybrook, Castle Hill, Norwest, Bella Vista, Kellyville, Rouse Hill, and Baulkham Hills remain completely unfunded — leaving thousands of children, families and clubs without the green space they urgently need.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne, said the shortfall is already impacting community wellbeing, inclusion, and participation in local sport.
"Our population is booming, and in the next decade we'll welcome an additional 140,000 people," Mayor Byrne said.
"Sport is central to life in The Hills. It keeps people active, connected and resilient. Without urgent investment, we'll be forced to turn away thousands of young players simply because there's nowhere for them to play."
Cricket is one of the hardest hit codes. Frank Pitt from the Parramatta District Cricket Association — one of two associations operating in The Hills — said clubs were being pushed to relocate.
"In previous seasons, and likely in the future, teams from The Hills Shire have had to play outside their area, some as far away as Carlingford and Parramatta," Mr Pitt said.
"The newest club, the Box Hill Bears, is currently under the most pressure. Despite being in an area experiencing significant and rapid residential development, they have only one cricket field available for their expanding Club. Last season, 55 per cent of their teams had to play home matches away from Box Hill. They even had to decline further registrations when the next available venue was in Berala, which deprived some local residents of access to organised sport.
"Given the ongoing growth in Box Hill, the situation has become even more challenging."
Meanwhile, football in The Hills is experiencing similar pressure, with a 10 per cent growth in overall participation and a 24 per cent spike in female registrations.
General Manager of Hills Football, Charlotte Ercil, said limited field availability is pushing clubs to use neutral venues and, in most cases, turn players away.
"We now have 21 clubs, 14,500 players in winter, and combined 6,500 in summer — and that doesn't even include coaches, referees, volunteers, and development programs," Ms Ercil said.
"We have so many people wanting to play, but we don't have enough fields for teams to play and train on. This is forcing our clubs to turn away players who just want to play the game that they love.
"Not too long-ago football was down 21 fields compared to the current and expected demand. Now in 2025 with a 40-field shortage, this campaign is even more important."
Mayor Byrne warned that a failure to invest in community-level infrastructure could jeopardise elite sporting pathways in the region.
"The Parramatta Eels, Hockey NSW, Hills Hornets Basketball, and soon Eastwood Rugby Club have all chosen to base themselves in The Hills," she said.
"They've seen the potential of our region — to grow talent, support high-performance sport and invest in our local facilities. But without enough space for young athletes to train and compete, we risk losing that potential."
To address this crisis, Council has launched the Fight for a Fairer Hills Future campaign — calling on the NSW Government to invest in:
- 40 new sports fields
- 45 critical road upgrades
- 14 new schools
- Fund the $207 million infrastructure deficit in Box Hill
These investments are urgently needed to support the fast-paced growth of The Hills Shire.
"We're not asking for anything extravagant; we just want a fair chance. Families in the Hills deserve the opportunity to play sports," Mayor Byrne said.
"Alongside the housing crisis, we're facing an infrastructure crisis with insufficient sports fields and overcrowded roads and schools. We need action to address these issues.
"While Council is making progress, the NSW Government must also step up. If they don't, the housing situation will worsen and impact our quality of life. They need to take responsibility for their planning decisions and build the necessary infrastructure to support the growing population."
An e-petition is available for people to sign and support the cause on the NSW Parliament's website.
Almost 11,000 people have signed the petition so far. 20,000 signatures are required to have these issues debated in the NSW Parliament.
To learn more and support the campaign, visit: fairerhillsfuture.com.au.
To sign the petition, visit: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au.
