Rise in recreation increases demand for City of Newcastle sportsfields

Balancing the needs of organised sport with a growing number of casual users will be a key consideration in the development of a new Strategic Sports Plan for Newcastle.

Following initial consultation with sporting associations, City of Newcastle is now looking for input from the community and sports club members regarding current sporting facilities within the local government area (LGA), as well as suggestions for future needs.

Executive Manager Community and Recreation Lynn Duffy said the feedback will play a critical role in shaping the new plan, which will guide how City of Newcastle improves and invests in sportsgrounds.

“We want to capture the thoughts and needs of all community members when it comes to sporting infrastructure,” Ms Duffy said.

“Since the COVID‐19 pandemic, social sports and recreation have been on the rise thanks to activities such as running, walking and unofficial group outdoor games.

“This trend increases the need for our sporting infrastructure to be planned and developed with shared use as a priority, to ensure it can accommodate a predicted population boom and evolving participation trends in both organised sport and informal recreation.

“We want to know who’s using the grounds, what they are using them for, and what sort of upgrades would improve their experience.

“In addition to updating the plan, the project will establish clearer frameworks for how City of Newcastle engages with users of its sportsfields and outdoor recreation spaces.”

Adopted by the elected Council in 2020, the 10-year Strategic Sports Plan was designed to address future demand and inform the ongoing supply, maintenance and upgrade of sporting infrastructure across the LGA.

More than 70% of its recommendations have been partially or fully delivered, but shifting participation trends, climate impacts and competing demands for usable land prompted City of Newcastle to review and update the plan.

Chair of City of Newcastle's Sports Infrastructure Working Party, Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz, said the Strategic Sports Plan provides a crucial framework for investment.

“City of Newcastle currently invests more than $15 million annually in the maintenance or upgrade of its sporting infrastructure,” Cr Winney-Baartz said.

“The revised plan will better reflect evolving community needs, define the process for clubs seeking facility upgrades, and align sports infrastructure planning with other projects such as the Broadmeadow Place Strategy and Southern Beaches Coastal Management Plan.

“A key objective is to review existing infrastructure and improve the quality, accessibility and functionality, creating facilities that support universal access, catering to people with disabilities, families, and older adults, not just high-performance athletes.

“The new Strategic Sports Plan will explore the way our sports users and broader community can work together to maximise the use of our sports facilities as our population grows.

Community members can find out more or make a submission via the Have Your Say page on City of Newcastle’s website. 

The public exhibition period opens today and will close at 5pm on 11 May 2026.