Sports Field Action Plan - Towards 2036

In 2021 Council adopted the Open Space Future Provision Strategy (OSFPS) which considered the capacity of Council’s sporting infrastructure to cope with current and future demands (to 2036) in terms of both quantity and accessibility. 

This report reviews issues and needs to do with the City’s full-size sports fields and develops an implementation plan for the upgrade/expansion of these facilities to meet the 2036 population demand outlined in the OSFPS. This includes a review and update of Council’s Synthetic Surfaces Action Plan 2016-26.

This Sports Field Action Plan – Towards 2036 presents an Action Plan for meeting the 2036 population demand for full size fields utilised for active recreation. 

The Action Plan is based on a thorough review of relevant policy contexts and issues, including:

• The NSW Government’s strategic & policy context (i.e. policies and directions of the NSW Office of Sport and the NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment (DPIE),
• The regional policy context (i.e. Greater Sydney District Sport Infrastructure Plan and NSROC Sport and Recreation Officers Group strategic initiatives),
• Recent Council initiatives in enhancing sports field capacity,
• Progress and issues with implementation of the Synthetic Surfaces Action Plan 2016-2026, and
• Recent changes in sports facility supply and demand (both in the Ryde LGA and in surrounding LGA’s).

The Action Plan recognises that to meet the future active recreation needs of the community, a mix of infrastructure upgrades, not just conversion of natural fields to synthetic, will be required. The recommended options and opportunities include:

• Sports field lighting,
• Sport field layout optimisations,
• Synthetic conversions,
• Gaining access to school fields,
• Rezoning opportunities to create new fields and synthetic surfaces.

View the Document

• Sports Field Action Plan - Towards 2036 - Adopted June 2023(PDF, 2MB)