New courts on the way for Singleton netballers
Published on 06 September 2023
Demolition of Singleton’s netball courts began this week to pave the way for all new playing surfaces ahead of the 2024 winter competition.
Over two stages, the 12 Rose Point netball courts will be upgraded with new asphalt surfaces, posts, and line-marking to replace the courts damaged by long periods of rain and flooding in 2021 and 2022.
Justin Fitzpatrick-Barr, Council’s Director Infrastructure and Planning Services said the repair and reconstruction of the courts was necessary to not only improve player safety but to ensure Singleton remains one of the region’s leading sports destinations.
“The impact heavy bouts of rain and flooding has had on the netball courts can be clearly seen on all of the playing surfaces. There are cracks across courts one to six and bumping and rippling in the asphalt on courts seven to 12,” he said.
“The current condition of these well-used courts is not what we, and visitors to our town, expect from our sports facilities and why it is a priority to repair the courts that we can and replace the others.
“Council has worked with Singleton Netball Association to deliver these works in a way that will have as minimal of an impact as possible on their seasonal schedule.
“By staging the works, we’ll be able to upgrade half the courts while the other half can still be used by the association and the wider community.”
The $1.2million netball court project has been funded through the NSW Government’s Essential Community Sport Assets Program.
Stage one of the works will see courts 7-12 demolished and new asphalt courts installed with new posts and fresh line-marking.
These works are underway now and are due to be completed in December, weather permitting.
Stage two will include the same works for courts 1-6. These works are due to begin in December and be completed mid-March 2024, weather permitting.
A new concrete edge will also be installed around the outside of the courts to assist with protecting the new asphalt courts.
Mr Fitzpatrick-Barr said the project was just one of many sporting infrastructure upgrades scheduled for the 2023/24 financial year, with almost $10million being invested in upgrading lighting, seating, playing surfaces and clubhouses across the Singleton local government area.
The netball court upgrade is also one in a suite of improvements being made to Cook Park to further cement the precinct as a premier sporting location in Singleton and surrounds.
Other works currently underway include the installation of tiered spectator seating and the construction of a new $1.25million athletics amenities building.
Scheduled works include the $2.2million extension of the Singleton Roosters AFL Clubhouse and upgrades to the athletics and junior rugby league sports field lighting.