Jock Brown Sportsfield as it is now. Photo: Shellharbour City Council Facebook.
Jock Brown Sportsfield in Barrack Heights is set for a long-awaited transformation, with Shellharbour councillors adopting a master plan that promises upgraded sporting facilities, better lighting and crucial flood management to protect nearby homes.
It came after a community consultation period that attracted 11 submissions, with unsupportive submissions related to the removal of the cricket facilities in favour of football (soccer).
Prior to the 26 August council meeting, two speakers provided heartfelt support, including Lucille Walsh, daughter of the oval’s namesake Jock Brown, and a resident who lives near the facility.
Longstanding issues at the oval were addressed in the master plan, including poor lighting that made it difficult to watch evening games and waterlogged conditions that had plagued users during wet weather.
Its transformation will take it from one oval configured for cricket and AFL, with an ageing amenities building, cricket nets and a newly constructed playspace, to more modern facilities, two rectangle fields to accommodate the growing participation in football (soccer), improved drainage, formalised parking, new pathways, enhanced lighting and a renewed amenities building.
Crucially, the plan also integrates a detention basin design that aligns with flood risk management measures from the Elliott Lake – Little Lake Floodplain Risk Management Plan to protect nearby homes and alleviate wider flooding issues.
Deputy mayor Kellie Marsh, who moved the motion, said it was “long overdue”.
“I’ve watched kids … at Jock Brown over the years and at times you’d sit there and watch kids and not be able to see them through the dark, lack of lighting, or when it started to rain, you’d be ankle deep or more in water,” Cr Marsh said.
“With what we’ve proposed here, we’ll actually be activating this space more and what a great place for it, right in the middle of our city.”
The report said during development of the master plan layout, retention of the oval facility was considered.
“Due to the flood detention targets set by the Elliott Lake – Little Lake Floodplain Risk Management Plan, the most efficient configuration of the sportsfield and safe carriage of overland flows were two rectangular fields in the orientation depicted on the master plan,” it read.
A look at the master plan for Jock Brown Sportsfield. Photo: Shellharbour City Council Facebook.
Cr Marsh addressed concerns by the public about these changes, which meant the removal of cricket facilities.
“Being a cricket mum, I know there were some submissions pertaining to cricket,” Cr Marsh said.
“We are very fortunate in Shellharbour where we’re about to start work on a brand new cricket and AFL oval at Shell Cove, which will have the best view I think of any cricket oval certainly in NSW and obviously in our city.
“We’ve recently had a brand new cricket oval at Croome Road, which is well utilised.”
She said council also invested money into Howard Fowles Oval at Lake Illawarra, Panorama Oval at Oak Flats and there were plans for Geoff Shaw Oval at Oak Flats.
“The cricket fraternity in Shellharbour are certainly not being forgotten,” she said.
Cr Rob Petreski shared the comments of Jock’s daughter Lucille, who spoke before the meeting.
“She said it was sad to see it slowly declining over the years, but was very happy to see the master plan come out,” Cr Petreski said.
He emphasised the project’s dual benefits.
“It’s a win for the sporting clubs and for people that like to use it for recreation, but it’s also a win for nearby residents and it will help go a long way to mitigating any potential flood risk,” he said.
Cr John Davey said he looked forward to seeing a plaque put in place at the new facility for Lucille’s father.
Having grown up in the area and seen the deterioration in the sports fields, he said it was nice to see the master plan providing a “rebirthing” of the space.
“It’s not just a sporting facility in isolation,” he said.
“It’s also been prepared in accordance with the open space and recreation needs study and strategy, the master plan priority list for active open spaces, the plan of management itself for Jock Brown, the community facility strategy and, very importantly, for the Little Lake Flood Plain Risk Management Study.”
Jock Brown Sportsfield is on Gipps Crescent in Barrack Heights.
