Coffs athletics want action on new track, Oztag reiterates misgivings ahead of crucial council meeting

With so many competing interests this sporting development puzzle has proven a major challenge and there are now concerns it’s being put in the ‘too hard basket’.

The athletics community have produced which they say shows that Oztag could have 40 potential fields to use during a tournament. Bill Harrigan of Oztag Australia says Bruce Barnier Oval has superior drainage which prevents competitions being cancelled when it rains.

The athletics community has reacted with dismay to a proposal that could delay the construction of their new home, but Coffs Harbour City Councillors appear stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Last week council staff made a recommendation to investigate new sites for a long-awaited Regional Athletics Centre (RAC) instead of progressing with development at either York St, Park Beach or Bruce Barnier Oval at the Coffs Coast Sport and Leisure Park.

Speaking on behalf of the athletics community, Nicola Johnstone said the recommendation was a “stalling tactic” and implored councillors to instead make the “right decision” and choose the site at the leisure park.

Athletics community leader Nicola Johnstone. The athletics community and Northern Storm Football Club are opposed to a plan to situate a Regional Athletics Centre at York St, Coffs Harbour. Photo: Tim Jarrett

“We are so disappointed to read that CHCC now want to erase the last three years – and all the evidence that supports Bruce Barnier Oval as the best location – and look for a new option,” she said.

The athletics community has been pushing hard to have the new track sited at the leisure park so it can leverage pre-existing sports infrastructure. However, the site is currently used by local sporting groups such as hockey and cricket and frequently hosts major touch football and Oztag events.

“(Council) appear to be influenced by Oztag who do not wish to lose access to 30 fields for their tournaments,” Ms Johnstone said.

“We have provided maps to show Oztag that there are still over 40 fields in the precinct, including six at BBO, even with the RAC in place.”

Oztag signals ‘sticking point’

C.ex CEO John Rafferty and Oztag Tournament Director Bill Harrigan at C.ex Stadium.

Following a decision to put off choosing a site in 2020, stakeholders entered into consultations to try and find middle ground on the proposal earlier this year.

OzTag CEO Bill Harrigan said they have been upfront from the start about how an athletics track at Bruce Barnier Oval would impact their ability to hold tournaments and their primary concern wasn’t the potential reduction in fields.

He said Bruce Barnier Oval, which offered nine sand-based pitches, had superior drainage and together with C.ex Stadium was the best option in the event of wet weather.

“If it rains – a significant downpour – we lose Geoff King (Motors Oval), the western side of the amenities block and sometimes the AFL field,” Mr Harrigan said. “But we have always come back and played.”

“A significant part of that is Bruce Barnier (Oval) and if we didn’t have that we would have had to call it off. That’s our sticking point.

“It’s never been that we oppose the RAC, but when we were asked (what would happen) if the RAC was to be placed on Bruce Barnier Oval, I have to be honest and tell them what the impact is.”

Coffs Harbour has been home to Oztag for 16 years, with thousands of yearly visitors providing economic stimulus for the region. Photo: Brad Greenshields/Coffs Coast Advocate

Cricket and hockey could be swayed

While the preferred site of all users of Bruce Barnier Oval was York St, the cricketing and hockey communities indicated they could work with the leisure park proposal provided lost field space was replaced.

Cricket has two wickets on the oval and hockey uses two grass pitches every weekend for junior matches, rising to ten when there is a regional tournament.

Graham Robinson President of Hockey Coffs Coast said they were “absolutely” willing to find a solution that suited all parties – if there was a “viable alternative” – but their primary concern was losing pitches.

“Hockey’s current position is we do not want it at Bruce Barnier Oval. The loss of those fields will obviously mean we can no longer conduct the competitions we already hold, let alone future expansion.

“That’s why we can’t at this point support a proposal that is going to diminish our current competition.”

Northern Storm FC president Michael Lloyd is opposed to the athletics track being placed at York St while his club is still there. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Football is also in the mix

Further complicating the picture has been opposition to the York St proposal from the footballing community, namely Northern Storm FC, who currently use the fields situated at Park Beach.

They have unequivocally ruled out sharing York St with athletics and have been pressing council to develop their future home at the Moonee Sports Complex years early to free up space for the RAC.

In a strange twist, that same Moonee Sports Complex site is suggested as a potential site to explore for the RAC should councillors choose to accept the staff recommendation and find an entirely new venue.

That suggestion has been met with “significant concern” from the footballing fraternity.

“Moonee has long been earmarked as a site for football and cricket to cater for the significant increase in the population in this area,”

“We call on Council to immediately rule out Moonee Sports Complex as a site for the Regional Athletics Centre.”