Coffs Harbour athletics in limbo as Council recommends finding new site

Almost two years after beginning the search for a home for Coffs Coast athletes, are councillors about to tear up the plans and start again?

An alternative design of the proposed regional athletics centre at York St Oval, Coffs Harbour.

It could be back to the drawing board on the Regional Athletics Centre after a bombshell was dropped on Friday afternoon.

Coffs Harbour City Council staff have recommended a completely new site be found for the long-awaited athletics development after problems at the two proposed sites, Bruce Barnier Oval in South Coffs Harbour and York St in Park Beach, seemingly proved insurmountable.

Local athletics groups have been campaigning to have the RAC sited at Bruce Barnier Oval which is within the Coffs Coast Sport and Leisure Park, close to existing sports infrastructure and Southern Cross University.

Athletics community leader Nicola Johnstone has been leading the athletics community’s opposition to siting the RAC at York St. Photo: Tim Jarrett

However, a report to be tabled at the meeting demonstrates the level of division among various sporting bodies which currently use both sites.

Cricket, hockey, Oztag and touch football all have concerns about the impact a new RAC would have on their operations in South Coffs and would prefer the RAC to be built at York St.

Northern Storm Football Club, who currently call York St home, are opposed to cohabitating and have suggested expediting a plan to build the Moonee Beach Sports Complex so they could make way for athletics.

In addition, there are flood constraints on Bruce Barnier Oval option and the York St option has been criticised for being in the middle of a residential area.

Australian Oztag have expressed concerns having a RAC at South Coffs could impact their ability to host their major events. In 2018 the Oztag World Cup was held at the Coffs Coast Sport and Leisure Park.

“Consultation to date suggests that both sites proposed for the Regional Athletics Centre will have significant impacts on existing user groups, and a compromise is unlikely to be agreed upon,” council documents state.

“The alternative would be to consider a greenfield site, with no existing users, where a regional athletics centre can be the focus, and a facility can be designed and built with the best outcomes for athletics and other uses of a regional athletics centre in mind.”

Given the substantial cost in relocating affected parties, staff have recommended discounting the two sites as possible locations for the RAC and that $40,000 be allocated toward investigating Council-owned greenfield site options.

According to the documents, council owned greenfield sites such as the future Moonee Sports Complex and open space at City Hill on Hogbin Drive would be explored.