The Department of Education is delivering a multi-sports facility at the original Marsden High School site (22 Winbourne Street, West Ryde). The project will deliver a new 5,000sqm indoor courts facility with 4 multipurpose courts, 29 outdoor netball courts, landscaping and communal outdoor areas, and car and bicycle parking.

The department and council are committed to providing high-quality, inclusive, safe, inviting and well-maintained recreation facilities that are sustainably managed for the benefit of the community.

We are working with the City of Ryde Council to ensure this facility meets the parking needs of visitors without impacting nearby residents and neighbours.

Initial designs of the facility included 196 visitor car parking spaces, which was later revised to 296 car spaces to support City of Ryde Council’s requirements. Following consultation with the community, we moved the car park location 2.5 metres from the northern boundary to reduce noise impacts and provide more privacy to neighbours. This resulted in the need to remove 1 car space from the design. The current design includes 295 car spaces, however at the same time we have reduced the outdoor courts from 32 to 29, which reduces car parking demand and traffic impacts.

Any issues, such as parking, that have the potential to impact on neighbouring residents were considered and documented within a Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE). As part of the Development Application, the SEE – which includes impacts for public submission – was previously exhibited by the City of Ryde Council inSeptember 2022. All submissions made by the public during the DA exhibition period were summarised by Council and addressed by the project team as part of the DA re-exhibition in July and August 2023.

A development application (DA) for construction of the new facilities was lodged with City of Ryde Council and exhibited until 30 September 2022. This DA was re-exhibited to 28 August 2023 in response to submissions received during the initial DA.

After submissions close, Council will summarise the issues and present to the project team for response. The date that responses must be returned to Council is to be advised.

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Once complete, the multi-sports facility will cater for a number of indoor sporting needs, including netball, basketball, futsal, and badminton, while the external facility will primarily cater for participants of one of NSW’s fastest growing sports, netball.

Local sporting groups and organisations, residents, workers, and businesses will be able to use the facility subject to planning approval. There may also be opportunities to use the facility for non-sport community activities, such as farmers markets, subject to approvals and agreements.

The role of sport and recreation not only encourages healthy and active lifestyles in the community, it also helps to connect communities regardless of age, ability, and/or background.

The population of Ryde is forecasted to increase dramatically over the next 10 years, however there is currently a lack of recreation spaces in the Ryde LGA, with a key forecast requirement for additional indoor sporting facilities.

The current Meadowbank netball courts are at end of life. Building new courts provides an opportunity to significantly enhance the facilities in the new location with a new indoor facility. The relocation from Meadowbank also allows for Ryde Council to expand the capabilities in the old location to potentially address other sporting needs.

The delivery of this project will provide a high-quality sport and recreational facility, helping to establish NSW as one of the nation’s most active and healthy states.

In May 2022 Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYC) NSW successfully won the award to manage the facility on behalf of the Department of Education once it becomes operational.

An accredited ecologist was engaged to oversee the safe management of wildlife during demolition of the former school buildings. We will continue to engage ecologists and other relevant consultants as the project progresses through to construction.

Some of the actions that ecologists need to conduct before removing any trees include:

• Identify all trees intended for removal that contain hollows, nests or dreys and mark them with flagging tape.

• Identify any habitat for salvage.

• Inspect all trees for any fauna occupation.

• Provide advice regarding temporary alternative housing for relocated fauna, such as possum boxes.

• Provide a letter of compliance in line with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

If wildlife assessments reveal any native fauna, such as kookaburras, dwell in trees not scheduled for removal these trees will be protected by temporary fencing during construction under the supervision of a qualified arborist.

Once completed, the north-eastern corner of the site will be home to a C2 environmental conservation zone. The C2 zone applies to areas that contain high ecological, scientific, cultural or aesthetic values.

The overland flow of Archer Creek has been modelled to ensure flooding issues are managed. Additional drainage infrastructure and retention has been included within the design. The overland flow will be managed through the full site, including the C2 ecological zone.

A Social Impact Assessment was conducted to assess light interference associated with outdoor sporting games. We have considered the impact of outdoor lighting on neighbouring properties and adopted several interventions into the design. These include using adjustable lighting that runs at 50% luminous output during evening training and using directional lights with additional shrouds to minimise light spill. The lighting design has been modelled to ensure it is fully compliant with Australian standards.

During the design stage we engaged a certified acoustic specialist to conduct an independent assessment of noise impacts on neighboring properties. The assessment recommended we install an acoustic fence along the northern & southern boundaries which we have adopted into the design of the facility. We have also placed the courts downhill from residences to reduce noise. Our modelling has shown that the sounds generated by the outdoor courts will be lower than the Australian standard for this type of facility.

The Development Application (DA) for construction of this facility does not include any future proposed works. Any future stages or expansions of the West Ryde Multi-Sports Facility would require a separate DA, which would need to consider parking, traffic, the intensification of the use of the site and any other potential impacts.

The Meadowbank Education and Employment Precinct, where Marsden High School relocated to, gives greater facilities to students while connecting them to training and employment opportunities with local industry and the surrounding community.

The Department of Education is committed to providing a place at a public school for every student who wishes to attend. The department continuously monitors population projections to ensure enrolment needs are catered for. Strategies to manage fluctuating enrolment demands include enforcing the school enrolment policy to restrict out of area enrolments, reviewing the school intake areas to improve utilisation across schools in the local area, and providing additional demountable facilities as required.

In the case of sustained and stable enrolment increases, School Infrastructure NSW will provide additional permanent facilities, or new schools, as necessary.