WINTER sports groups in the Camden Haven and Hastings have had a win in their push for pre-season access to playing fields, although it still comes at a cost.
After being told they couldn’t use certain grounds managed by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (PMHC) until 23 March, clubs united to argue for access.
This prompted Mayor Adam Roberts to issue a statement on 29 January calling “for calm” and explaining that the fields needed time to “rest and recover”.
As a result of further discussions, Council has now agreed to allow winter sports groups to use the fields for the rest of the current pre-season period.
PMH Sports Council member Cr Nik Lipovac congratulated user groups for taking a stand.
“Clubs and associations have spoken out again this year via numerous emails, text messages and phone calls to staff and councillors, about the on-going inequities of ground allocation for pre-season training,” he shared.
“Your concerns have been heard and a new system is now in place.”
For some like Wauchope Junior Rugby League Football Club however, the lack of access has already impacted preparations.
“It is so disappointing that other teams from the southern area in our competition have commenced training,” Club President Jamie Donovan shared.
“But if you fall into the PMHC region, we are being placed at a disadvantage.”
Mr Donovan said the club will be charged $2750 to use the fields for out-of-season training, and for “come and try” and registration days.
“This booking fee for 10 sessions is more than we pay for the whole season.
“As a ratepayer, we pay for these facilities to be accessible when they are available.
“Council’s bookable system should support equitable booking processes but it doesn’t appear to be utilised in this manner.”
Others users agree.
Jess Bourne responded that the grounds have gone from inaccessible to unaffordable.
“These are grassroots sporting clubs, how are the fees affordable? It’s diabolical,” she shared.
Min Cotter said, “To think the sporting groups had to beg and plead to use public grounds.
“Makes me so angry that all these people that run sporting groups have to go through this stress.”
While gaining access to the grounds represents a win, it is on the following conditions.
—Bookings must be made through the usual process (i.e. via Bookable) prior to use.
—Payment of relevant fees.
—Agreement of the seasonal booking holder (where the field is booked by another seasonal user) is required to be provided with the booking request.
—Access is dependent on field availability (including planned maintenance and other bookings) and condition, with assessments undertaken to ensure player safety, equitable access, and long-term surface sustainability.
—Field availability/allocation may vary for training, with access to ‘home field(s)’ not able to be guaranteed.
Mayor Adam Roberts said the approach balances the needs of all seasonal user groups with Council’s responsibility to protect playing surfaces, ensure safety and support longer term field standards.
In its follow-up statement, Council said the issue will be revisited ahead of the 2027 winter season with plans to develop a consistent preseason allocation framework that includes defined criteria for field allocation, including field capacity, maintenance schedules, rest periods, and turf health; improved communication processes for wet weather decisions and field closures; and options for managing training intensity and field rotation to support long term field quality.
By Sue STEPHENSON
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