Green Point tip: Council funds sports field feasibility study
Residents have been campaigning for it for at least 16 years and now a $100K feasibility study will investigate whether the former Green Point landfill site can finally be turned into playing fields.
Central Coast
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A former Green Point landfill could become desperately needed sporting fields after Central Coast Council allocated $100,000 for a feasibility study into the site.
The possible redevelopment of the land into three or four adult sized fields in bushland at the end of Koolang Road has been a long time coming with residents pushing for conversion of the site as far back as 2003.
Central Coast Council deputy mayor Chris Holstein said the passing of time and technological developments meant it might now be more cost effective to use the land for sports fields and the feasibility study would investigate that.
“Where there were issues before, there now could be opportunities,” he said.
Cr Holstein said turning landfill sites into sports fields could be challenging because of the need to minimise disturbance of the buried waste.
“You can’t just said a bulldozer in there to level things out — it’s much more complicated,” he said.
Central Coast Sports Council has welcomed the feasibility study.
“The Central Coast Sports Council is aware of the increasing population in the LGA and the lack of available land for recreation, particularly in the southern area of the coast,” sports council president Riley Sohier said.
“We know Central Coast Council has had issues in the past with old tip sites, but we’re confident the council will address these issues,” he said.
Greenpoint resident Joy Cooper moved to the suburb in 1997 when the site was still being used as a tip.
She said it closed some time after that with full intention of using it for sports fields, but the plan was stymied by concerns about methane gas emissions from buried waste.
“If it is able to be used now, it would be fantastic,” Ms Cooper said.
“Gosford’s population continues to grow along with the need for more sports fields and open spaces.”
IN OTHER NEWS
It has been common practice for councils throughout Australia to convert old landfill sites into playing fields.
On the Central Coast this includes Adcock Park, Hilton Moore Oval at East Gosford and Frost Reserve at Kincumber to name a few.
This is usually successful, but among possible problems from landfill sites are toxic substances like solvents, acids, and lead; toxic leachate which can contaminate groundwater and waterways; and methane from rotting green waste.
At Woy Woy waste facility, methane is captured and used to generate up to 7800 megawatts of power annually.
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