Backlash over plans for sporting fields at Fred Caterson Reserve, Castle Hill

A Sydney mayor has defended council plans to build an elite sporting facility at a nature reserve, amid a campaign that has received more than 16,000 signatures to block the project.

Fred Caterson Reserve. Picture: Hills Shire Council

The Hills Shire mayor has denounced what he described as a “misinformation campaign” by members of the community opposed to sporting fields being built on rare green space.

The debate has seen proponents for increased youth sports infrastructure at one of Sydney’s fastest growing local areas pitted against residents concerned the prized green space would be cut off for private use.

Hills Mayor Peter Gangemi “set the record straight” on the council’s masterplan for Fred Caterson Reserve including elite sporting facilities funded in part by a state government grant.

The mayor said the reserve is a “treasured home of both passive and active recreation”, would remain open for a range of uses, in response to people he said were “deliberately spreading mistruths on the issue in order to divide the community”.

Aerial images of Fred Caterson Reserve. Picture: Hills Shire Council.

The nature reserve was earmarked for transformation in 2020 as part of a draft masterplan developed under former mayor Michelle Byrne to accommodate the predicted growth of The Hills, including an expected influx of 22,000 residents to the new Showground Precinct.

It is currently used for a range of activities including BMX riding, tennis, remote control car racing, basketball, tennis, soccer and cricket, as well as for passive recreation.

As part of the council’s wider push to attract sports clubs to develop facilities to support population growth – including the Parramatta Eels’ $53m facility at Kellyville Park – Eastwood Rugby was awarded the tender to develop a “premier rugby union facility for the community” on the Pony Club site at the reserve.

Hills Shire Mayor Dr Gangemi has described some content online about the Reserve upgrade as misleading.

The precinct will upgrade existing fields at the 58-hectare reserve as well as increase parking, along with a clubhouse and spectator seating for the Club, which will move from Marsfield to The Hills.

However a passionate community group has maintained their concerns around the environmental protections in place along with the removal of hundreds of trees have not been addressed.

Member of the Friends of Fred Caterson Reserve community group Martin Cartwright said the group wanted to see the detail of environmental reports on the impact of construction and loss of the “natural habitat, flora and fauna on what is the last remaining natural bush land in the Hills Shire”.

Greens councillor Dr Mila Kasby tabled the advocacy group’s petition with 16,193 signatures at the council’s October 24 meeting.

Plans for Fred Caterson Reserve. Picture: Hills Shire Council website.

Eastwood Rugby general manager Robert Frost.

Eastwood Rugby general manager Robert Frost said the club was committed to ensuring the next generation of rugby champions had the facilities in their local area to chase their dreams, with a significant contingent of the club’s young players already based in The Hills.

“At the moment, any promising rugby player has to travel to Daceyville in southeast Sydney to progress,” Mr Frost said.

The club last year established the western zone rugby academy – set to be based at the Reserve – to ensure “every promising athlete no longer needs to travel … but can stay in northwest Sydney and progress within their sport,” he explained.

The planning and design of the playing fields and infrastructure is currently in progress, with the final design to be informed by further studies.