Middle Head Oval sporting groups rally against Harbour Trust masterplan

Grassroot sporting clubs have joined forces against plans by the Sydney Harbour Trust to reconfigure a major sporting hub for new tourism attractions. Find out more.

The oval is used by sports including cricket, AFL and football.

Mosman sporting clubs are speaking out over a multimillion-dollar revitalisation of Middle Head over fears the project could slash the size of one the region’s most used sporting fields.

The presidents of local football and cricket clubs have joined forces in opposition to the Middle Head masterplan which proposes to significantly transform the precinct with new attractions to entice visitors.

The draft plan, released by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust last month, includes new walking tracks, heritage and Indigenous learning experiences, and upgrades to the historic Middle Head barracks site.

But references in the plan to reconfigure the Middle Head sporting oval to accommodate walking paths and pavilion/change room has left users of the facility seeing red.

Mosman Cricket Club president Warwick Adlam said the project could have ramifications for multiple sporting codes in an area already experiencing a shortfall of available sporting facilities.

A photo of the Middle Head masterplan

“Our main concern as a sporting club is what’s being planned for the oval – to decrease the size of the oval with a walking path would just be absolutely crazy,” he said.

“The Harbour Trust seem to have put this out from left field with no consultation (and) to put the pavilion on the oval as well is absolutely crazy as well.

“Sporting grounds are already at a premium in the area so to reduce the size of one, I couldn’t think of a worse idea.”

Mosman Cricket Club president Warwick Adlam.

Concerns have been echoed by Mosman Football Club president Richard Pike who has called for the Harbour Trust to go back to the drawing board, saying the master plan “as it stands does not work”.

Mosman Council this week released an eight page submission to the Harbour Trust outlining a range of objections to the masterplan including lack of detail.

The council stated the reorientation of the oval could affect playing surfaces, lighting, netting, fencing and drainage at Middle Head Oval that were funded and installed by the council.

A concept image of new dining areas as part of the masterplan.

The council has called on the trust to rule out relocating the change facilities or any other non-sport related infrastructure onto areas currently used as playing surfaces.

“A reorientation and reduction in size of the oval would limit its ability to be used by multiple training groups/users at the same time and would also impact the ability of council to provide line marking for alternative field configurations or future sporting uses of the site,” the council’s submission stated.

“This is unacceptable to council. Nor would it be acceptable to the sporting groups who use this facility.”

A photo of Middle Head, showing the oval (right).

Harbour Trust executive director Janet Carding, in a letter to the council, said there had been “challenges” balancing the requirements of the sports facility “and enhancing the parkland more generally.”

“The loss of playing surface would be minimal and would be offset by the creation of a new playing surface at the southwestern edge of the oval in the approximate location of the existing facility,” Ms Carding wrote.

“The aim is that there would be no net loss of playing surface area.”

The masterplan includes adaptive reuse of the historic barracks.

The Harbour Trust, in a statement, did not confirm whether it would reconsider plans to realign the oval but stated: “All feedback received on the draft plan will be carefully considered.”

“The draft master plan is currently on public exhibition and the Harbour Trust continues to meet and listen to the community and our key stakeholders,” a spokeswoman said.

“Because of the level of interest, to ensure we are allowing enough time for the community to provide considered feedback on the draft master plan, the Harbour Trust is extending the public exhibition period until 5pm on May 9.”

The oval hosts sporting clubs including men’s and women’s AFL, school sports and provides HMAS Penguin staff with active training facility and allows them to land helicopters when required.