Q. Why does council propose to upgrade the school sportsground ?
Council has reviewed available sportsground assets and determined that there is a shortfall of facilities for sport, particularly for soccer, netball and cricket. A strategy has been prepared identifying improvement opportunities across the Shire. It includes the proposal for the school sportsground to provide for soccer and cricket. The adopted Sports Facility Strategy is available for viewing on Council's website at http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/recreation/index.cfm?NavigationID=1508
Q. How will the works be funded?
Council has a Section 94 Development Contribution Plan that provides for an expansion of facilities to meet the needs of the expanding population. The Section 94 Plan provides for the expansion of sportsgrounds across the Shire, including the school sportsground. Rates funding is not involved.
Q. Will the sportsground be open to the public?
Yes. Generally the field will remain accessible as it is currently, outside of school hours. The Schools will retain primary use with local clubs organising around school activities.
Q. Will I be able to walk my dog on the field?
No. A dog off-leash area is provided in Greenway Park adjacent to the field. Dogs are not permitted off leash in any other part of Greenway Park or at the proposed sportsground.
Q. What facilities will be built on the sportsground?
The field will be expanded about twenty metres to the east towards the community centre and equipped with a small amenities building on the western (or school) side of the field. There will be floodlights, seating, a cricket pitch, an internal path and screen planting to residential boundaries (refer to attached plans and illustrations).
Q. Will the field be fenced?
The field is proposed to have a fence running along the eastern boundary of the cricket and soccer field which will prevent balls from running down the embankment. This would be a low fence and is not intended to restrict pedestrian access.
Q. What level of use of the sportsground is proposed?
The field is proposed to be used for soccer in winter including for training up to four nights a week from 4pm to 9pm under lights and on weekends for male and female competition events during daylight hours. Only three teams will use the field for training at any one time, restricting visitor numbers.The field will be used in summer by local cricket teams including district junior competition and training not requiring night lighting. The schools will continue to use the field during school hours and for other school events.
Q. Will the proposals increase traffic and parking in the area?
There will be a minor increase in traffic and on-street parking. Some additional visitation is a result of this proposal when training and competition events are scheduled. The proposal will simultaneously accommodate a maximum of three teams (with an approximate peak parking demand of 30 car spaces) at any one training session. The Parking & Traffic Impact Statement (contained for viewing on this site) notes that sufficient off-street parking is available within the school carparks and in bus-bays on Purchase Road . Under this arrangement, the proposal will not contribute to any significant traffic flow issues in the locality that the existing infrastructure is not able to accommodate.
Q. What about noise impacts?
Fortunately in respect of this site, few residences are close to either the entry point of the school carparks or playing field such that the appended Noise Impact Statement found that negligible impacts are anticipated. There are currently noise impacts from the existing cricket nets and a noise attenuation barrier is proposed to be erected.
Q. What about those powerlines?
The Electromagnetic Field Strength Measurements (see Report) taken for the site indicate that the proposal is subject to a maximum reading of 62 Milligauss directly beneath the powerlines. The current guidelines issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council set a safe limit for continuous exposure at 1000 Milligauss. In this scenario, where a playing field already occupies the site adjacent to the powerlines, no discernible increase of this effect will result due to the field expansion.
Q. What about the impact of lighting on adjacent residences?
Under the proposal, four light poles are required for sufficient lighting and are proposed to operate at 100 Lux for amateur training events. Northern and southern residential boundaries are vegetated providing ready-made screening in respect of obtrusive light. The lighting design is directed to the field and light spill well controlled. The proposal easily satisfies current Australian Standards for the control of obtrusive effects (refer to Technical Report). The minimum spill standard at the boundaries is 10 lux and the designed spill levels are currently 1-5 lux, and this can be further reduced by landscape planting.
Q. How does the school community benefit from the proposal?
The sportsground has been developed to a moderate standard. The proposed sportsground will be of a much higher standard of construction and the turf will be maintained in better condition. Amenities will be provided and the field will be enlarged to support junior cricket. Under the agreement between Council and the Department of Education and Training, Council will carry out all the necessary maintenance, relieving the schools of this burden.
Q. If Council is to maintain the sportsground, how will that benefit residents of the Shire?
The use of the sportsground site by Council will incur no acquisition costs or rent. If Council was to acquire a sportsground-sized area in Cherrybrook, the cost would be prohibitive. Whilst Council has agreed to meet all costs of providing improvements and maintenance, it can provide this necessary facility without the land acquisition cost. Because the sportsground is located next to Greenway Park there will be considerable economies available to Council in the maintenance of this sportsground.