The vision of a multi-purpose in-door stadium is exciting. But as the president of a new club that also has a vision, I am less than excited about the loss of two established fields that adjoin a high school.
Newcastle has a limited supply when it comes to demand for playing fields. As a new club, planting our flag at a ground that we can call home has been one of our biggest challenges.
Newcastle can't afford to lose two established fields, especially when Venues NSW is planning an 11,000 seat entertainment centre linked to McDonald Jones Stadium as (their) first priority for the proposed Hunter Park. That, and Harness Racing NSW says it will not stand in the way of the Hunter Park project and is happy to move from Broadmeadow.
I realise that nothing is simple and straight forward when competing for open space in an established city. You have my support for a new stadium, but not at the expense of two existing playing fields.
Gary Fagg ("Stand up and support stadium", Letters, 30/5), I think it's laughable to claim Turton Road isn't chaotic. As a 27-season Newcastle Knights member and also a New Lambton resident, I can attest to the severe increased traffic burden on game days. The resulting gridlock and widespread illegal parking create a hazardous environment that severely compromises public safety. The official crowd figure from the recent Newcastle Knights vs. Parramatta match was 23,001.
You further maintained there is plenty of green space which entirely ignores the fact Wallarah and Blackley ovals are already at capacity with various sporting codes. Most significantly, they are utilised every single school day by Lambton High students, who have a right to accessible open green space. If you are going to comment on the complex location of the new basketball complex, please do some more research.
Our community deserves a first class basketball complex, but it shouldn't come at the cost of traffic gridlock or the loss of precious parklands.
I think Gary Fagg ("Stand up and support stadium", Letters, 30/5), will find that almost everyone in the region agrees that a new, large and modern basketball stadium is urgently needed. But for those against the proposed site for the stadium, it's not just a case of not-in-my-backyard or minor traffic congestion at "limited times".
It's like comparing chalk and cheese to compare the traffic congestion near the stadium site on Curley and Young roads, which has an entry/exit from both roads, to the traffic impacts from the proposed stadium's single entry/exit on Turton Road, one of Newcastle's busiest arterial roads.
Opposition to the stadium isn't just limited to residents. It also includes local sports clubs losing their home grounds, Lambton High losing its outdoor curriculum and evacuation area, the wider community losing valuable green space, any motorist who uses Turton Road and surrounding streets facing additional congestion and delays.
Most importantly, I would like the writer to understand the environmental problems of the proposed site. It is flood-prone land wedged between a high school and a residential area. I would encourage everyone to have a look at the multiple and expensive flood mitigation measures proposed by the developers to try and protect the stadium and surrounding homes from flooding. They then might understand why locals and those downstream of the ovals, Newcastle council, the SES and the Department of Planning are concerned. Those that remember the devastating 2007 floods know the stakes here.
Basketball supporters have claimed that the proposed development to concrete over Blackley Oval and Wallarah ovals should be approved because the sporting complex is needed. I am not aware of anyone who says it's not needed. The issue is location.
Multiple government authorities and hundreds of residents have cited their concerns regarding increased risk of flooding, traffic congestion, parking, pedestrian safety and multiple other issues.
The flooding of properties near Ker-rai Creek stormwater drain is becoming more frequent. Numerous properties had their backyards inundated earlier this year.
The risk of flooding of the proposed basketball stadium is minimal. The loss of the "green-field sponge" that soaks up surface water is a major concern. The run-off from the massive commercial building and the surrounding concrete will be significant. Instead of the three ovals containing and soaking up rainwater, Newcastle Basketball proposes water storage and the planting of a few trees. Bollards are shown on their plans to prevent patrons' vehicles washing into the drain. I believe this alone should be deemed sufficient justification for refusal of the application.
Any authority considering such a large-scale concrete development must have major concerns regarding the flood-displacement impacts on local residents and local roads.
I notice the One Nation Party seems to be the flavour of the month among voters. Before I vote for One Nation, I'll be looking at their website and reading their policies. I'd suggest everyone else do the same.
Ian King, you're from Warners Bay. Whatever Declan Clausen was doing before and is doing after the lord mayoral byelection does not concern you ("Where has Clausen gone", Letters, 2/6). Stick to Lake Macquarie issues.
The Trump administration's opening of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) files is my generation's childhood science-fiction come to life. Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov. If the UAP files fulfill their promise, we may soon become the latest civilisation to meet the Cousins Upstairs.
Charlotte McCabe stated that Newcastle has shipbuilding capacity ('MP blasts Greens over electric ferries', Newcastle Herald, 2/6). As a retired boilermaker who worked at Carrington slipways for 20 years, the birthplace of the MV Hunter and MV Shortland ferries, could she please advise were the shipyards are?
The sight of Treasurer Dr Jim Chalmers accusing critics of his budget tax changes, the ones his boss promised 50 times wouldn't be made, of lying is too funny for words. If capital gains is so broken, I'm sure the PM will be happy to donate the gains he made when selling his property.
Steve Barnett, it would be surprising if anyone hadn't heard of China and Russia ("Superpowers loom on the horizon", Letters, 2/6). For what it's worth, I have.
