Another weekend, another round of washouts.
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While this weekend isn't as bad as last weekend, there are still many games called off, especially junior sports fixtures.
The recent deluge follows similar wet weather earlier this year which resulted in many sports calling off games.
On the back of all the cancelled sport during the height of COVID-19, community sport has been decimated in recent times.
This has prompted sports administrators and organisations to call for more sports infrastructure investment from every level of government.
The Illawarra has only one synthetic football pitch at Ian McLennan Park in Kembla Grange.
As the rain has continued to drown community sport, a number of football clubs in the Shellharbour LGA called for more all-weather sporting facilities.
In May, fed-up clubs Albion Park Soccer Club, Albion Park City, the White Eagles and Albion Park Cows FC penned an open letter to locally-elected representatives of all levels of government, calling for the urgent need for more all-weather sporting facilities.
Shellharbour Councillor Robert Petreski has also had enough of the decimation of community sport across the region.
Spurred on by frustrated football club representatives, councillor Petreski and fellow Cr Maree Edwards forwarded a Notice of Motion calling on Shellharbour Council to look at suitable sites in the city for future synthetic pitches.
Helpful, yes. But sporting organsations in the region deserve more than just extra synthetic pitches.
Especially after news broke that a new $50 million high-performance centre will be built for the St George Illawarra Dragons at the University of Wollongong's Innovation Campus in North Wollongong.
The Community and High-Performance Centre (CHPC) in Wollongong will include two new full-sized football fields for training, to be built on the former site of Brandon Park, once home of the Wollongong Wolves soccer team.
The Wollongong Wolves have since urged NRL counterpart St George Illawarra to keep the door open to the A-League aspirants using the new $50 million state-of-the-art centre.
The Illawarra Hawks haven't confirmed if they've had discussions about using the proposed complex, after decades at the much-loved but outdated Snakepit at Beaton Park.
But, at this stage, it is the Dragons who will solely benefit from the sports facility.
This has prompted calls for investment in a multi-purpose state-of-the art facility which can be used by a number of community sporting organisations as well as teams such as the Wolves and Hawks.
Sporting codes say there is no reason why something similar to the Penshurst Park Sporting Hub couldn't be built in the Wollongong/Shellharbour area.
Officially opened in March this year, the hub includes a new youth centre with multi-purpose sports courts, meeting rooms and a training kitchen, grandstand, new scoreboard, new all-abilities playground, synthetic sports field and gender-neutral and accessible change rooms.
Stage 3 will focus on the extension of the existing Hurstville Leisure Centre Facility, including two multi-courts, change facilities and gymnastics space.
Football St George Association made several significant financial and in-kind contributions towards the Penshurst Park Sporting Hub, whose stage two-and-three works were slated to cost about $17 million, which will partially be funded by a federal government grant and Section 94 developer contribution funds.
Beaton Park and Croome Road Sporting Complex, which already has track and field, swimming and basketball facilities, could be suitable locations for a new state-of-the-art sporting hub in the Illawarra.
Dalton Park in Towradgi is another venue which has the room required for such a massive project.
Football South Coast CEO Ann-Marie Balliana said the region definitely needed more sports infrastructure investment.
"Obviously the sharing of fields between sports is a model where governments know that they can put investment and a wider part of the community will get a benefit out of that," she said.
"We've got 1000 teams that play football, so that is 500 games every weekend. A synthetic pitch obviously has a place to take some of that pressure off but it is certainly not going to be the solution when we have weather events like this.
"To me, this is where I think clubs and council and all the levels of government need to look at projects such as drainage.
"Additional synthetic pitches will certainly ease some of the pressure in times like this but I think now is the time to look at improving individual facilities also.
''In football we have 15,000 registered players that we have every year, so our size means there is obviously much more of a demand for facilities."
Illawarra's state Labor politicians Anna Watson, Paul Scully and Ryan Park have all backed moves to improve the region's sports facilities and infrastructure.
"I absolutely agree we need additional funding for synthetic pitches, especially given the size and population of our city," Keira MP Mr Park said.
"As a father with two sport-loving boys I know firsthand just how frustrating the past few years have been and I am happy to assist advocating once council has identified the best locations."
Wollongong MP Mr Scully said part of the reason Wollongong sporting facilities were so far behind other areas was because the present NSW government had excluded Wollongong from all forms of sports facility funding for several years.
"This is unfair. It was wrong and I fought against it and forced the government to have us included again," he said.
"Synthetic pitches are, at face value, an attractive option.
''I have spoken with several football clubs who are considering investing in them about options for financial support.
''However, there are some concerns about long-term environmental impacts and heat island effects.
"I think council should develop a program of investments in improving drainage on sporting fields throughout the city.
''Sporting fields with good drainage recover from periods of intense rain more quickly."
A spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer was expected to complete its final report later this year, following its independent review into the use of synthetic surfaces.
"We also expect to complete our development of the state's first set of guidelines on the use of synthetic turf surfaces in public open space, by the end of September.
''These will provide information and guidance to councils and communities, when the use of synthetic surfaces in their public open spaces is being considered."
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
