The Ku-ring-gai Council meeting of 26 July turned into a prolonged and heated discussion with the topic of the facilities upgrade at North Turramurra top of the agenda. 

At the July Council meeting, residents from North Turramurra were asked several times to leave the gallery after shouting abuse during the meeting. Some residents believe that the development should not go ahead largely due to safety risks and traffic congestion that the development could place on residents living in the area including several retirement village communities.

“The NTRA Development is a modest, fit-for-purpose development which will provide essential undercover seating and amenities to users which includes footballers, players from other sports and members of the community. The development will provide adequate unisex changerooms for female players – currently there are only 2 changerooms for 6 teams that often play on the 3 NTRA grounds. The 4 changerooms in the new facility will ensure a change room per team which will provide a safer environment for players, particularly female players who use the NTRA grounds. The new facility will provide the NSFA, its members and the region with an appropriate facility which all other associations in metropolitan Sydney currently enjoy.” - NSFA Spokesperson.

“It is already congested with traffic without the massive increase in traffic to the NSFA, which will be competing with not only local traffic but also those who access and utilise the boating and recreational facilities at Bobbin Head in the National Park.”  - Kathleen Moore, wrote to all Councillors ahead of the meeting objecting to the development, and also copied several media outlets including The Post,  went on to state confidential information only available to Ku-ring-gai Council and the NSFA.

Residents from Turramurra claim that this development is not suitable for Bobbin Head Road with the limited access in and out of the sporting grounds, narrow roads and fears around emergency services having trouble accessing the area.

The traffic report accompanying the DA, which was approved in October 2022, forecast no material increase to traffic or impacts on parking. An NSFA spokesperson has stated “We agree with this assessment as we are currently using the NTRA grounds for the maximum hours that are available to us and intend to continue to compete in the same competitions after the project is completed.”

A spokesperson for Ku-ring-gai Council has stated “ The Association has obtained a $3.6 million grant for the project through the NSW Department of Sport and will meet the balance of the cost through its own funds. There is currently a shortfall of new multipurpose facilities for sport and recreation in Ku-ring-gai, as identified by the Council’s draft Recreation Needs Study which is on public exhibition until 1 September.”

Councillor Spencer, Wahroonga Ward, questioned the validity of landowners consent during the last Council meeting and this became a focal point for the meeting. Following the Council meeting The Post has reached out to the NSFA to clarify if landowners consent had been provided.

A spokesperson for NSFA stated “The issue of landowner’s consent was pleasingly clarified at the 25 July Council meeting with Director Watson clarifying that approval to proceed with the Heads of Agreement at the February Council meeting was effectively approval from Councillors for Council Staff to proceed with the NTRA Development. It is pleasing that this issue has been clarified and that the community can look forward to a project fully funded by the NSFA at no expense to ratepayers for both the project build – with the help of a grant from the NSW Government Office of Sport – and ongoing costs which will be borne entirely by the NSFA.”

This issue divided Councillors at the meeting and the vote was split 6/4 in favour of proceeding with the Heads of Agreement between the NSFA and Ku-ring-gai Council (GB6).

It’s fascinating to witness that the Councillors against the agenda item are so focussed on public transport to and from the NTRA yet have shown no interest in the huge deficit of public buses to and from St Ives High School, an issue which remains unresolved to this day.