Newcastle International Hockey Centre (NIHC) officials hope work on a $10 million upgrade to their Broadmeadow facility will start in October – two years after state government funding for the project was announced.
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NIHC had lobbied long and hard for government support to improve the facilities around its three international-class fields and in turn attract major tournaments and matches to the region. There have also been hopes of Newcastle becoming a base for the national team programs.
The centre, opened in 1990, has been built and maintained almost entirely with contributions from the local hockey community.
When the $10 million NSW government grant was announced on October 5, 2016, NIHC chairman Bob Fernance hoped the 18-month project – taking in grandstand seating, new change rooms, rainwater tanks, upgraded watering and lighting, security fencing, car parks and a cafeteria – would be complete by the end of 2018.
In June last year, Fernance told the Herald the redevelopment plan had been changed to meet budget but the NIHC board hoped to submit a development application to Newcastle City Council (NCC) within a month.
However, NIHC board member and development director Rolly de With said this week that the project had been delayed by the wait for Venues NSW’s masterplan for the Broadmeadow sports and entertainment precinct, which takes in the hockey centre, and the unforeseen requirement of a new flood management plan.
“It has taken longer to get through the approvals process than we had originally budgeted on,” De With said.
“The reason being, because the centre is on a flood plain, Newcastle City Council required a flood management plan for the 1-in-100, 1-in-500-year flood.
“The research that has been done will be beneficial for all the developments that will go on there.
“It has taken a while to get through, but we are in the process of finalising the documents to go out to tender. The approval is imminent.”
De With was “hopeful the development will commence some time in October, if everything goes to plan”.
“It would be ideal because we would get the men’s, women’s, juniors and veterans seasons out of the way. The grand finals will be in September, then we can get into rebuilding.
“It will be done in two stages. We will do the southern clubhouse first. Because it will be staged, I think it will still be an 18-month period.
“It’s not going to be a quick one. It is a fairly complex juggling act because we want the seasons to continue.”
He said the centre “will be great for NSW hockey”.
“Victoria and Tasmania can host major tournaments, Queensland has upgraded their facilities for the Commonwealth Games, so NSW is being left behind. That’s why I think this development will help hockey in NSW.”
