Jock Brown Sports Field Masterplan. Image: Shellharbour City Council.
A major upgrade is on the cards for Jock Brown Sports Field in Barrack Heights, with a draft masterplan set to transform the site into a flood-resilient, multiuse venue that meets rising demand for football (soccer).
Shellharbour City councillors unanimously endorsed the plan at its June meeting to go on public exhibition, highlighting improved amenities, flood mitigation measures and better shared use by multiple sporting codes and individuals as top priorities.
Located on Gipps Crescent in Barrack Heights, the sports ground has one oval configured for cricket and AFL and is used by schools and as a training venue for rugby league.
It also houses an off-leash dog area, an aging amenities building, cricket nets and a newly constructed play space.
Enhancements will include a new sports amenities building, redesign of the sports ground and associated drainage, formalised car parking, a shared pathway, additional lighting and a renewed play space.
Councillor Kellie Marsh also applauded inclusions of a gated dog off-leash area, tiered seating, and shade structures.
“Many times we go to sporting events and people take their animals with them, which isn’t at times a good thing when you’re having children playing sports,” she said.
“To have potentially a gated or fenced off dog section in this masterplan is a good idea.
“I do hope that a lot of the things that are included in here – unless we have pushback from the community – are included, especially the embankment of tiered seating. Also the undercover area for when it rains, because we need to make sure our grounds are utilised as much as humanly possible.”
Initial consultation with the community was largely positive, but major concerns raised were around safety and crime prevention, public and private access, improved accessibility to the site, and equitable use and allocation of sporting codes.
“I understand that this ground had been used for many years by AFL and cricket, and we have had one gentleman in particular being quite concerned about the fact the oval would not potentially be used for AFL or cricket anymore,” she said.
“On that point, we have an oval that’s only a few years old at Croome Road Sporting Complex, and also the new Shell Cove oval, which will be utilised by AFL and cricket.”
Cr Rob Petreski commended council on looking at the demand in soccer and responding.
“I think there’s considerable demand for rectangular fields in that they can be used for all football codes, apart from the AFL,” Cr Petreski said.
However, he agreed with Cr Marsh that excellent AFL facilities already existed, adding Myimbarr Community Park at Flinders to the list.
Cr Petreski said his strong support of the plan stemmed from the opportunity to integrate a detention basin design aligning with recommended flood risk management measures from the Elliot Lake – Little Lake Floodplain Risk Management Plan to improve flood mitigation.
“There’s a chance here we can improve the amenity for our community and we can also mitigate some flooding risk as well,” he said.
“It’s a bit of a win-win for the residents around there, and also for our local community sporting groups.”
He said he also praised its flexibility, with open spaces between fields, an abundance of trees and plenty of car parking.
Mayor Chris Homer said being a flood-prone city, it would take pressure off the Elliot Lake area during heavy weather.
Jock Brown Sports Field draft masterplan and report will now proceed to public exhibition, inviting community feedback for 28 days.
