Much ado about nothing over Lynwood Park master plan

There is nothing remarkable about the Lynwood Park master plan. Nonetheless it was the subject of robust debate at last week’s Campbelltown Council meeting – and an outcome that was baffling, to say the least.

It is basically a proposal to ask the Federal and State Governments to chip in for a $30 million makeover of a facility that badly needs one.

The current complex serves as the home of soccer in Campbelltown and the wider Macarthur region. The master plan says the aim is to turn Lynwood Park into a regional sporting facility, along the lines of cricket’s Raby Sports Complex and netball’s Coronation Park – with Campbelltown Stadium at the top of the hierarchy.

One thing that the plan makes clear is that if it ever goes ahead, it will not increase the footprint of the site, just improve the infrastructure, from the playing fields to dressing rooms and office administration space.

The need to improve Lynwood Park was identified in council’s Sport and Recreation Strategy eight years ago, but anyone who’s been there for a game, senior or junior will tell you that a decent makeover is way overdue.

But it’s certainly not a master plan to build Wembley on top of Campbelltown’s old rubbish tip that went before council.

Around 2017, council initiated preliminary work to develop a master plan for Lynwood Park, as suggested by the Sport and Recreation Strategy for 2016-2023.

The goal of this master planning process was to create a blueprint for the site that would guide its evolution into a regional sports facility.

After a delay caused by the pandemic, the master plan landed at council last Tuesday, with a recommendation to progress it to the next stage – public exhibition.

Simple as that.

What a majority of councillors ended up voting for was, as veteran Councillor Meg Oates said, “totally different’’ and “confusing the issue’’.

Maybe confusion was contagious last Tuesday night, because some statements were bewildering, and before you knew it, the motion went from being a simple step forward to a curate’s egg.

Animal Justice Party councillor Matt Stellino sought assurances the master plan had been tested again the koala plan of management, in other words had they looked at the impact of the makeover on koalas – the Lynwood Park site being “core koala habitat’’.

He also expressed concerns with plans for a second artificial turf field as part of the proposed master plan, with Lynwood Park located close to the freshwater section of the Georges River.

He informed the chamber that the NSW chief scientist had released a report that morning on the risks associated with artificial turf when it breaks down with use and age.

All fair enough.

However, this is just a master plan, there is no funding – not a brass razoo in fact – and it was merely proposed to let the good people of Campbelltown check it out and tell council what they thought of it.

And it’s worth noting that the main playing field at Lynwood Park had artificial turf installed almost eight years ago (pictured above and at right), and there has not been one note of concern from anyone.

So, this is what the councillors voted to do:

Write to our region’s State and Federal Members of Parliament seeking their input and/or support of the Masterplan prior to its exhibition, noting the funding for delivery for such a plan will come from NSW and/or Commonwealth government(s).

A report be presented to Council highlighting changes, if any, to the Masterplan and the response from the MPs for consideration and endorsement for public exhibition.

The report presented back to Council consider the impacts of synthetic fields on the environment and the development on koala habitat.

If that’s not putting the cart before the horse, I don’t know what is.

No wonder the Macarthur Football Association (MFA) and other senior soccer stakeholders are disappointed with the outcome from last Tuesday, which in some ways is a giant leap backwards.

It certainly is not a step forward.

“This is not a good motion; I mean what are we asking the MPs for,’’ Cr Oates said.

Her colleague Rey Manoto also pointed out that Campbelltown Council always considered the impact on koalas when considering developments.

“We love our koalas, we always look out for them,’’ he said.

For the record, Mayor George Greiss, Cr Warren Morrison, Cr Masud Khalil, Cr Matt Stellino, Cr Josh Cotter, Cr George Brticevic, Cr Margaret Chivers, Cr Marian George, Cr John Chew and Cr Riley Munro voted for the motion.

Voting against were Cr Karen Hunt, Cr Masood Chowdhury, Cr Rey Manoto and Cr Meg Oates.

Also for the record, Labor leader Cr Darcy Lound, who is chairman of the MFA, declared a conflict of interest and left the chamber during debate and voting.