The Bomaderry/Nowra Regional Sports and Community Precinct Master Plan includes a new synthetic athletics track, a leisure centre incorporating a 25 metre heated indoor pool, Shoalhaven Indoor Sports Centre and a community pavilion to provide medical, physiotherapy, health and educational facilities. 

The proposal was released at Tuesday afternoon’s council meeting.

The draft plan developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including local community groups, education providers as well as local, state and national sporting bodies, aims to set out a long term vision to guide the development of a facility that will meet the future needs and requirements of the city over the next 30-40 years.

Director of Corporate and Community Craig Milburn said it was the most exciting project he had seen in his 22 years in local government.

“It is one of the most visionary community facilities council has actually developed,” he said.

The draft plan encompasses the existing sport and community facilities at Artie Smith Oval, Bomaderry Sporting Complex and Bomaderry Aquatic Centre and builds on the upcoming construction of the Shoalhaven Indoor Sports Centre.

“The existing Artie Smith Oval will be resurfaced and include a new turf pitch as well as junior cricket field,” Mr Milburn said.

“The two existing basketball courts remain and we are about to build the other four courts. Work on that is expected to start by the end of the year.”

On the northern side of Cambewarra Road, the Bomaderry 50m and 25m indoor pools, croquet lawns and four homes will make way for a new tartan athletics track and a community pavilion area that would house a variety of facilities including a 25m indoor pool.

The two complexes will be joined by either an overpass or traffic lights would be installed to allow easy crossing.

“The really exciting part of the proposal is providing a space to put in full synthetic athletics track and facilities to go around that,” Mr Milburn said.

“There is also a community pavilion which will house a 25m indoor pool, a learnt to swim facility and a beach entry children’s pool. There would also be a hydrotherapy pool, consulting rooms, outreach for our library services, education areas, meeting rooms, a cafe and general clubhouse for all sports.

“The two rugby league fields at the bottom of the complex remain and will be upgraded with a synthetic wicket between them to allow cricket to be played.

“The Bomaderry outdoor pool has come to the end of its useful life and something needs to be done to replace the facility. This will be a whole new leisure centre with a 25m indoor pool plus a full gymnasium.

“The croquet club is in discussions to relocate like for like and the four properties need to be acquired.”

It is envisaged the complex, if adopted by council, could be completed by 2030 and would be built as a staged construction.

“The plan has been developed for a sequence of stages but is designed in a way to allow stages to be moved if we source funds from a particular state sporting body. We can move the stages to accommodate that,” Mr Milburn said.

“While council will be contributing towards the project we will also look to state and federal governments for funding as well as state and national level sporting associations.

“It will develop some of our existing facilities which will enhance how they are used by local participants through to regional, state and national sporting events as well as bringing in a whole range of community wellbeing, health and education components.”

Mr Milburn said it was envisaged once complete the complex would employ up to 30 people and build on the city’s annual $6 million sport tourism income.

Mayor Joanna Gash said the aim of the master plan was to deliver high quality sporting facilities together with infrastructure to support local, regional and state level sport.

“The precinct is designed to cater for residents of all ages for access to high quality leisure and sporting facilities,” she said.

“The development aims to cater for both junior and senior sport and provide a quality venue and training facilities for elite sporting events at the state and regional level.

“This is an exciting project and will put the Shoalhaven on the map in terms of providing the best integrated sporting and community facilities on the South Coast.”

The draft master plan will be placed on public exhibition for a period of 40 days, and during this time, council will be seeking comments and submissions as well as undertaking further community engagement.