Sports clubs and dog walkers in Wauchope are thrilled the council wants to use land on the corner of Stoney Creek Road and the Oxley Highway as a sports field and leash-free park.
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The 20-hectare site on the Port Macquarie side of Wauchope is the preferred council alternative to the Tuffins Lane fields.
The council accelerated planning into future sporting field options after receiving 18 months’ notice to vacate the Tuffins Lane fields. A draft concept plan for the Wauchope site aims to meet a diverse range of sports and recreational needs.
The plan shows a sports facility with large club room that caters for major regional and state sports events like the State Touch Cup.
The concept plan includes 12 soccer/rugby fields, six cricket pitches, cricket nets and 25 touch fields. There are 500 car parks around the site.
A fenced off-leash dog area is featured in the north-east corner, while a walking track surrounds the fields.The plans feature a drainage system.
Rebecca Buerckner from Wauchope Soccer Club said it would be awesome to have a state of the art field/stadium in Wauchope. “Imagine the exposure for the town! It would help businesses locally too.”
Tony Brown of Wauchope Cricket Club said the planned layout would give most sports the chance to use the facility, should the need arise.
Wauchope Chamber of Commerce President, Rob Hamilton said the site will have some major benefits over the Tuffins Lane fields with better access and more parking, with benefits for businesses too.
“It will be a long term bonus to sport in the Hastings to have purpose-built fields with the prospect of attracting more major sporting events.”
Wauchope Rotary Club president Kathryn Stephens said it would be a great economic, sport, tourism and community opportunity for the greater Hastings area. She said it was extremely important to have a leash-free dog park in Wauchope.
Councillor Lisa Intemann said it’s going to be great for Wauchope and hopes the site will host major events. “It’s also very pleasing that a leash-free area is included,” she added.
Wauchope vet Michael Ferguson, who’s campaigned for a leash-free dog park, is delighted: “It will really benefit the community, including dog trainers,” he said.
Pete Coulon wrote on Facebook: “This was the site of the Wauchope Race Track before they went to Beechwood Road. It needs to be made flood-free first.”
And Dean Hurrell wrote: “Brilliant! Been spoken of for over ten years. If it's flood-free it will be awesome for the town. Ten minutes to Port isn't far, especially if you've lived in a bigger city before.”
