‘First to get the punt’: Coffs sports spat heats up

North Coast Football argues Coffs Harbour City Council should adopt a ‘locals-first’ policy in granting access to the new synthetic fields. How it’s playing out.

Coffs Harbour’s vaunted new synthetic football grounds are at the centre of a political tug o’ war, with local football clubs claiming they are being squeezed out of the complex by visiting events.

Parent body North Coast Football (NCF) is leading the charge, citing an example at the weekend when a Coffs United booking for one of the artificial turf grounds was bumped to make way for a Gridiron Australia ‘flag football’ (low contact) event.

NCF general manager Andrew Woodward said the American football program had originally been set down for the adjacent eastern grass field at the Sport and Leisure Park complex, until it was deemed too wet for that booking.

“Fair enough with NRL and A-League games which bring a significant financial boost. But it’s just the amount of these outside bookings which is the problem,” Mr Woodward said.

“At the moment it’s all one-way and we’re the first to get the punt.”

Andrew Woodward: “The state government put the $10 million in because it was to be a regional sports facility, not just something for Coffs Harbour.”

Coffs Harbour mayor Paul Amos said with the state government kicking in $10m and council $4m to fund the new Sports Hub, the facility had to prove itself as an “economic driver” for the district.

“It’s a delicate balance we have to have there,” Mr Amos said.

“Council have a juggling act to do the best by both parties - our visitors and our home users.”

Mr Amos said while the gridiron event had to be shifted, football still enjoyed plenty of access to the precinct over the weekend - “from firsts to thirds and Under 12s”.

The demand for the new all-weather football grounds has peaked on the back of many natural grass fields being too wet for play.

“Coffs Harbour is pretty much the only place in the state that’s dry enough to play,” Mr Woodward said.

He has penned two letters to council from NCF, noting that football would be locked out of the South Coffs precinct this week and on the weekend as it hosts the Oztag NSW Junior State Cup.

The Coffs Coast Regional Sports Hub synthetic fields have been in hot demand since opening in February. Picture: Chris Knight

Mr Woodward said it was an anomaly that NCF clubs like Bellingen and Nambucca had to pay three times the amount that Coffs clubs do to hire the synthetics because they are not in the local government area.

“But the state government put the $10 million in because it was to be a regional sports facility, not just something for Coffs Harbour,” he said.

NCF is also pushing for financial relief for its clubs who have had to dive into their reserves to hire the synthetics.

“Football is the biggest sport in the Coffs Harbour LGA, with over 3000 players. It is bigger than all other similar sports combined,” Mr Woodward said.

“We also understand the importance of visiting events to the local economy and sporting community. However, what’s happening now is unfair to locals. There’s no balance.”

Mr Woodward hopes to meet with council, and ask if bookings by visiting events could be tapered “from December to May because that’s our wet season”.