NNSWF infrastructure strategy: Call for urgent investment in Northern Inland facilities

Clubs and participants deserve to have access to fit-for-purpose venues that are safe, welcoming and support the growth of the region's largest club-based sport, NNSWF said in a statement.

The strategy prioritises projects to ensure investments in soccer facilities target areas that were most in need, it said.

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Northern Inland is Northern NSW Football's largest member zone geographically, comprising approximately 4,500 registered players. This was an increase of 30 per cent compared to last year, with 28 per cent of registered players female, NNSWF said.

But facilities in the region, it added, did not match football's current size or potential future growth, "with a NNSWF audit revealing that 63 per cent of fields do not have lighting".

Of the fields that had lighting, it said, only 33 per cent met the minimum standard for training.

Only 13 of the 28 football venues have player changerooms and a mere five cater for match officials. The fact that more than half of the venues did not have any changerooms was a significant issue for the growing number of female players, the sport's governing body said.

Four out of five fields also have no drainage, although more than half of the fields have automated irrigation.

The Marius Street fields at Tamworth, Narrabri's Gately Field, Coonabarabran Oval, Ron Harborne Oval at Moree and Wee Waa's Cook Oval have been identified as priority projects as part of the infrastructure strategy.

Various improvements have been proposed including lighting installation, surface upgrades and an overall improvement to facilities.

NNSWF chief executive David Eland said: "Football has the highest overall participation rate of club-based sport for children in the Northern Inland local government areas, so it is vital that we fight to get these kids the facilities they need.

"Increasing capacity at existing venues, while supporting the development of all gender facilities over the next decade, will be a focus in current and future strategic planning."

Eland said NNSWF was "committed to working with the relevant local government authorities to secure increased funding".

"NNSWF applauds the state government's increased focus on improving community sporting facilities," he said.

NNSWF Northern Inland regional coordinator Toby McVey said there had been confirmation recently of how badly infrastructure upgrades were needed in the region.

"We've just lost four weeks of football to rain up here because the situation surrounding pitches with drainage and floodlights issues is dire," McVey said.

"Only 10 per cent of our fields have drainage, with 90 per cent of our 84 playing fields considered to have no functional drainage."

McVey said only 37 per cent of playing fields were floodlit, with only 33 per cent of those meeting the 50 lux training standard.

"Meaning, once games get washed out, we are unable to reschedule them," he added.

"And only four of our 28 venues provide suitable all gender change facilities for players. With almost 1,500 female players, this level of provision does not support the current use or future growth in female players in our game."

The infrastructure strategy is a state-wide initiative.

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