The Shellharbour area may become home to several synthetic sportsfields, following a motion passed by council on Tuesday night.
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Councillors Rob Petreski and Maree Edwards put forward a motion calling for a report outlining locations and costs for creating all-weather synthetic sportsfields.
The motion stated this would include options for a new facility as well as retrofitting an existing field.
"In my first term of council when I was first elected in 2017, this is one of the things that the community first mentioned to me," Cr Petreski said.
"And it's one of the most frequent requests I've had since serving on council.
"It's quite a broad report, it's not code specific. I think there are many sports that can also benefit from synthetic sportsfields. There are some sport user groups that have been crying out for it for years."
Cr Petreski noted that the overall costs of a synthetic pitch would be similar to grass.
"Once you get over the capital outlay of a synthetic field, the ongoing maintenance cost over a longer period of time, they come down quite a bit," he said.
"So they're actually comparable to grass fields. The advantages of having an all-weather facility is that it's a drought-proof and flood-proof facility."
The motion passed with only one voice of opposition, that of Cr John Davey, who cited concerns about the synthetic surface creating pollution and the likelihood of it getting too hot for use on warm days.
Cr Davey was also concerned about replacement costs.
"In eight to 10 years the synthetic surfaces have to be replaced," he said.
"We could be talking about $2 million for the initial outlay and then half a million outlay for another field at the end of eight to 10 years plus we have the maintenance that needs to be undertaken in between.
"If we do proceed and do end up with synthetic fields, which codes will be prioritised in the use of these fields? And if we are going to establish this synthetic field for any particular code, won't we have to line mark it? If we do line mark it doesn't that then become exclusive use for that particular code"?
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
