A range of weekend sports could call one oval home under a plan being considered by Shellharbour City Council.
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A council study into synthetic pitches identified Albion Oval in Albion Park Rail as having "significant opportunity for multi-use and multi-sport" and should be home to a multi-sports complex.
The concept is listed in council's Major Projects Advocacy Plan, which will go before city councillors at Tuesday night's meeting.
Council is looking to other cities for inspiration, including Penrith's multi-sports field which features the ability to play AFL, cricket and soccer - all on the one oddly-shaped field.
"The Regional Multi-Sports and Leisure Facility will be an all-purpose, phased project with indoor and outdoor sports and swimming facilities, making it a one-stop shop for all leisure needs," council's advocacy plan stated.
"This facility will serve as the headquarters for regionally based sports associations and become the main headquarters for sports in the Shellharbour LGA."
The facility, which would be built in stages, is envisaged to cost $40 million.
Council has approached the NSW Government for $30 million in funding.
Council declined to comment on whether the multi-sports facility is designed to replace existing venues in the Shellharbour area.
The Albion Oval site came out of a study of the costs and possible locations of all-weather sporting fields, moved in April last year by Cr Rob Petreski.
That study does identify a future for the Croome Road sporting complex, built by the state government just five years ago, in its recommendations.
"Development of a longer-term master plan for Croome Regional Sporting Complex/Terry Reserve, to create an integrated and expanded hub that explores both active and passive leisure and community sports provision," it stated.
"The management of the whole site should also be reviewed so that the community perceive, and can have, access to this key asset."
The study identified four possible locations for multi-purpose synthetic fields - Albion Oval, Croome Road, Myimbarr Community Park and Terry Reserve.
The sites were all ranked on a range of criteria, with Albion Oval a clear winner.
"Albion Oval be identified as the priority sportsground to receive funding to redesign the facility to an Active Precinct," the study's top recommendation stated.
"By embracing the synthetic technology explored through the master plan process for two synthetic fields (football, AFL, cricket, touch and oztag); expansion of the skate park with 3x3 courts to develop a small youth precinct and the creation of a jogging/walking track around the outside (granitic sand) of the field to activate the community, with exercise/fitness equipment appropriately placed."
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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.
