Port Macquarie-Hastings community sporting groups have just under two weeks to file feedback on Tuffins Lane or run the risk of proposed upgrades to drainage not starting for another year at least.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Should that happen, any long-term work done on the venue would then be pushed back even further.
It comes after Port Macquarie-Hastings councillors endorsed a motion at their Wauchope meeting in March to consider whether there was community support for $200,000 to be included in their budget.
That money would be put towards drainage designs for Tuffins Lane in council's Operational Plan for 2023/24.
While the $200,000 is currently not included in the draft Operational Plan, acting mayor Rachel Sheppard said it could be added later, but that also depended on the level of feedback from the community.
"Council decided to first seek informed feedback from stakeholders," she said.
"This means providing information about the benefits of the proposed Tuffins drainage upgrade alongside the risks, costs, and impacts this will have on delivering other sporting infrastructure. Previously our community has not previously been aware."
If there is not enough support filed from user groups, that $200,000 would not be allocated in the budget for 2023/2024. As a result, no work would be done for a further 12 months.
"I encourage all stakeholders in local sporting infrastructure to read council's detailed report on the Tuffins drainage upgrade and consider giving input on the OP," Cr Sheppard said.
"This includes those stakeholders who would like to see the works included in this years OP and also those who would like council to remain focused on existing sporting infrastructure priorities."
If the consultation outcomes don't support redirecting funds to the Tuffins project, the work won't be included in council's Operational Plan for 2023/2024.
Port United Football Club treasurer David Goldstein said they understood the importance of upgrades to drainage at the flood-prone venue, but their priority as a club was around lighting.
"It's the lack of training facilities under lights that is our major problem," he said.
"For us, we've got 55 teams and in excess of 600 players so we need Tuffins Lane to upgrade the lighting so we can use it for training our juniors.
"Drainage is important; we would like to see that happen, but as a club our priority is for lighting out there."
Council note that the estimated costs to construct the drainage works is at least $3.1 million and would consist of five steps.
The first step would take three to six months and would undertake a Request for Tender to engage a consultant to create a detailed design for the drainage.
What would then follow is a detailed environmental assessment which would cost another $500,000.
Once that was completed, a development application (DA) would be written for the construction works with an estimated cost of more than $2 million, broken down into $250,000 for electrical upgrades and $1 million for drainage.
The construction of the project would then take around 18 weeks from start to finish. The Rainbow Beach fields took three weeks, but they are half the size of the Tuffins facility.
Port Macquarie Touch Association were scheduled to have a directors meeting on May 10 where they would discuss the next steps.
Sporting groups have until May 21 to provide feedback.
IN OTHER NEWS:
