Glebe District Hockey Club

Transcription

1 Glebe District Hockey Club Proposal for additional synthetic multipurpose playing fields on the Rozelle Rail Yards site Executive Summary The Inner West and City of Sydney areas are undersupplied with active outdoor sporting facilities, and the inclusion of playing fields in the May-2017 draft masterplan for the Rozelle Rail Yards is welcomed. The draft masterplan indicates a single synthetic multipurpose pitch with football (soccer) markings. The Glebe District Hockey Club proposes the inclusion of additional multipurpose synthetic playing pitches at the Rozelle Rail Yards, with at least one constructed to an International Hockey Federation (FIH) standard, with hockey pitch markings. This additional hockey-marked pitch could be utilised by the Hockey Club for women s, men s and junior s matches and training, and by additional users that require a flat, grass-like playing surface; junior cricket, touch football, grid iron, futsal, netball, oztag, athletics, lacrosse, T-ball and baseball. The synthetic turf facilities would be available for use on week-days by primary and secondary schools of the surrounding areas and by the thousands of people who are will work in the area, once the White Bay Precinct is developed as an employment hub. The Rozelle Rail Yards site is a large site and additional pitch/s could be feasibly be included in a number of different field orientations. Ideally, all pitches and playing fields would be located in close proximity, making best use of shared facilities such as change rooms, kiosk, etc and importantly - maximising the chance of social interaction between people at the sporting precinct. A core benefit of organised sport is the facilitation of a social and community esprit de corps. In addition to the extra pitch/s, it is proposed the masterplan for the precinct include facilities to support competitive organised sport such as change rooms, club house/gathering area, a first aid room, scoreboards, equipment storage and a kiosk. Hockey NSW enthusiastically supports this proposal. In addition, it is consistent with the Inner West Council and the City of Sydney s strategies for open space utilisation in the precinct, which explicitly recognise the need for additional active sporting fields and for a larger number of synthetic pitches to increase field availability to serve a large and rapidly growing population. Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 1

2 Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Background Information 3 Hockey-specific facilities summary 5 Details of proposed additional multipurpose synthetic pitch/s 7 - Description and references - Diagram, including dimensions - Environmental considerations Message of support from David Thomson, CEO Hockey NSW 10 Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 2

3 Background Information Competitive Hockey has been played continuously in the Rozelle Bay precinct for over 80 years by males and females of all ages. The Glebe District Hockey Club s predecessor club the St James Sporting Club (Glebe) was founded in The Hockey Club has a long and proud history of providing active sporting opportunities for the local community. In the 2017 season, the hockey club field s 12 junior teams and 11 senior teams. It has over 300 registered playing members, with slightly more female than male players. Over recent years it has become increasingly difficult to run competition and training sessions at the Club s traditional grounds, Jubilee Oval Glebe and Federal Park Annandale Senior competition hockey has moved entirely from its origins on grass pitches to synthetic turf pitches. Synthetic turf pitches play significantly faster than grass and have resulted in a very different game. In order to reach higher levels of competition, a synthetic turf must be played on and trained on, indeed nearly all Sydney competitions and all regional competitions require games to be played on synthetic turf. Junior teams face regular cancellation of games and training sessions due to wet weather field closures; the heavily-utilised Jubilee Oval is often closed to protect the playing surface following rain. From 2018, the Sydney Hockey Association won t allow any grade or age group to play competition matches on grass fields With no synthetic pitch in the local area, Glebe Hockey plays senior home games and most training sessions outside the area, 20 minutes drive west, at Concord. Unfortunately, Concord isn t available for our juniors on Saturday mornings, so their scheduled home games are spread further across Sydney, at Sutherland, Kyeemagh, Bankstown and University of NSW field at Daceyville. Because of the high demand for artificial turf time for training and competition, juniors have a single hour of appropriate allocated training time at the Concord pitch each week, which makes sessions cramped, requires close management of player safety and hinders skills development. Currently, the only additional pitch time available for weeknight training is at 9pm - 10pm, which is an inappropriate time for school aged children. This requirement to commute for training and games is slowly disconnecting the club with the local community, makes logistics for parents awkward, restricts the player base to those with regular access to a car (as opposed to being able to walk or cycle to a local field), and is eroding the club and Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 3

4 community spirit The principle beneficiary of the activities the Glebe District Hockey Club is the local community. By facilitating participation in, an active, healthy, outdoor, team sport the Hockey Club facilitates and supports a, leisure pursuit that has a powerful positive impact on both the community s sense of wellbeing and on the individual s social development, and emotional health. The Hockey Club provides opportunities for socialisation, exercise, enjoyment, and emotional support for young people in their vulnerable adolescent years. Access to training and coaching opportunities, mentors, successes (and failures) and friendships away from school and family ties are valuable life learning experiences and help build and facilitate resilience and coping skills. The Glebe District Hockey Club recognises that the shortage of inner-sydney sporting facilities compromises its capacity to sustain operations in the longer term. This proposal isn t simply about an exercise facility anyone with access to a footpath can exercise, and any one with a burning desire to play hockey can get in a car and drive across Sydney to play. This proposal is about providing facilities for local sporting clubs to conduct well-run, active, outdoor team sporting competitions that provide an opportunity for local residents to exercise and meet each other. Providing a site for the playing of hockey within the Rozelle Bay Precinct would be a boost for the local community and help promote ready links between individuals of all ages, backgrounds and interests. As an inner-city club, our 33 year quest for a local synthetic pitch has been hampered by available land. Both Inner West Council (formerly Leichhardt Council) and City of Sydney have been very supportive of this project over a long period, and both organisations have previously indicated support for a synthetic pitch with hockey markings in open space developments within their LGA s. Given that both councils have separately concluded additional active recreation space, specifically including additional synthetic sporting pitches, are key objectives of their open space strategy, we anticipate their views on utilisation of open space within the Rozelle Rail Yards site will have some alignment with the hockey club s proposal. Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 4

5 Hockey-specific facilities summary By end-2017 there will be synthetic hockey pitches at 11 locations across metropolitan Sydney. There are none in the densely populated inner-urban ring within 9-10km of the CBD where two million people live Figure One synthetic hockey pitches in metropolitan Sydney Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 5

6 Distances travelled one-way by hockey players from the City/Inner West are summarised in Table One: Venue Land Ownership Fields Lighting Distance from Rozelle Rail Yards North Sydney Pennant Hills Council 2 x water base Yes 30km / 45 minutes drive Central Sydney Macquarie Park (Ryde) School 1 x water Yes 18km / 30 minutes drive David Phillips Field (Daceyville) Council 1 x water Yes 13 km / 30 minutes drive Kyeemagh RSL 1 x water Yes 12 km / 30 minutes drive Cintra (Concord) Council 1 x water Yes 6 km / 20 minutes drive Western Sydney Sydney Olympic Park (Homebush) SOP Authority 2 x water Yes 11 km / 35 minutes drive Bankstown Council 1 x water Yes 19 km / 40 minutes drive Morebank/Liverpool Council 2 x water Yes 28 km/ 50 minutes drive South Sydney Sutherland Council 1 x water Yes 31 km / 45 minutes drive Green Hills (Cronulla) Council 2 x water under construction Yes 25 km / 50 minutes drive Cumberland (Lidcome) University of Sydney 1 x water Yes 15 km / 40 minutes drive Table One Sydney s synthetic turf hockey facilities To summarise, our current lack of local hockey facility means that players are often forced to travel in excess of 45 minutes, one way, for training and games on a weekly basis. Glebe Hockey Club plays second fiddle when hiring other club s facilities, meaning late or inappropriate training time and, forcing those who wish to play to make significant sacrifices - both in time, distance travelled and cost. As such, regrettably, we see significant drop off in participation rates, particularly in adult females. Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 6

7 Proposed facility specifications The Rozelle Rail Yards site appears to offer a number of feasible positions for additional pitches, over and above the one included on the May 2017, Westconnex Rozelle Rail Yard s Masterplan Other local sporting organisations and local schools are also hampered by pitch availability, and multiple synthetic turf pitches are likely to be well utilised should they included in any Rozelle Rail Yards development. One suggested location for an additional pitch is immediately to the east of the existing pitch footprint, as shown in figure two, though any location or orientation would be workable. Figure Two potential site layout There would appear to be efficiencies in locating active sporting facilities in close proximity; users can easily share facilities like change rooms and it would promote interaction and a sense of community between various user groups. The proposed hockey pitch facility specifications are outlined below; Figure Two, below, provides an extract of the required playing field dimensions. In addition, a ~3m runoff area is required around the perimeter of the field, within the boundary fencing. Total field + runoff area footprint is ~100m x ~62 m 1 Synthetic water-based multipurpose playing field Lighting >500 lux (for training can be reduced to 300 lux) Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 7

8 Approximately 35,000 L total water tank(s) for stormwater harvesting and pitch irrigation Small water treatment system (likely UV) for recycled water 18 kw pumps for water treatment and pitch irrigation Perimeter fencing. 1~m along sidelines, ~5 m at either end of the pitch Complete pitch guidelines are available from the International Hockey Association (FIH) Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 8

9 Figure Three Proposed Pitch Layout Also proposed, shared player and spectator facilities for all users of the active recreation precinct; football/soccer, tennis, netball etc Amenities male & female change rooms (inc officials), equipment storage, team and technical benches, dug outs, spectator viewing areas and amenities, electronic scoreboards Administration amenities, club house/gathering area, canteen/kiosk, first aid room Proper facilities to support a vibrant club life are important. Many of the critical networks and relationships that forge a sporting club s community are built through off-field activities such as coach, manager and match official development and training (e.g. first aid, umpire training), administration, and socialisation. Environmental considerations Facility design can be sympathetic to environmental sustainability, and should include Water harvesting capture storm water runoff to be treated and re-used for irrigation of the water based field Solar power integration of solar PV units for power generation for amenity buildings and lighting systems if possible Smart metering to manage electricity consumption and shed load when power is not required, minimising reliance on the electricity grid Feedback Draft Masterplan for Rozelle Rail Yards Page 9

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