Updated 31 August 2022 after Lane Cove Council EGM.
At the 18th August 2022 Lane Cove Council Meeting, Lane Cove Councillors voted to progress the design and construction of a Sport and Recreational Facility with a maximum of 8 courts (4 indoor and four multi-purpose outdoor courts) at 180 River Road Lane Cove. It will cost around $75 million to design and construct the facility. Read more here.
Lane Cove Council has scheduled an extraordinary general meeting on Monday 29th August 2022 to rescind the resolution referred to above and proposed a new resolution. The new resolution still gives the green light to a development application being lodged for a sport and recreation facility at the Lane Cove Golf Course.
The purpose of this meeting is twofold:
- To fix up some wording of the resolution which may not comply with the Lane Cove Council Code of Meeting Practice; and
- To set timelines and expedite the approval process so that the terms of a grant (which may or may not be granted) can be met in relation to starting construction by June 2023.
At the August Lane Cove Council meeting, Councillors and the public were presented with a funding model which included a grant application for $5 million under Round 2 of the Multi-Sport Community Facility Fund.
Applications for this grant close on 2 September 2022 and a grant of up to $ 5 million may be awarded. There is no guarantee that if a grant is awarded, it will be a $ 5million grant.
The merit assessment criteria provides that priority will be given to applicants who have an approved Development Application (our emphasis). Lane Cove Council does not have an approved Development Application.
If numerous councils apply, they will have priority to the $5 million grants. In the first round of grants, Feedback was provided which noted that the lack of a current DA was an impediment to a successful grant.
The Sydney North Planning Panel is the body responsible for approving the Development Application. A previous Development Application for a sport and recreation facility at the Golf Course received 113 objections. In March 2022, the Lane Cove Council withdrew the previous DA as Councillors wanted to ensure all options had been thoroughly investigated and there was a business case supporting a Sport and Recreation Facility
The lack of a Develpment application is not the only issue impacting the grant’s merit assessement criteria.
There are several other documents required to be submitted with the grant, that Council will not have by the grant closing date such as detailed plans or a business case modelled on 8 courts.
A big issue is access to the Sport and Rec facility. Plans now provide for access by a set of lights to be installed at the existing entrance to the Lane Cove Golf Course. Lane Cove Council only has an in-principle agreement to traffic lights being constructed at this site. Construction cannot commence until Transport for NSW agrees to the traffic lights and past experience shows that there can be lengthy delays in the approval process which puts in doubt a construction start date of June 2023.
The resolution moved on 18th August 2022 by Kathy Bryla did tick off the sustainable criteria set out below.
“Identify Design Principles outlined in the program guidelines that have been incorporated into the project. For each design principle describe how it delivers on the design principle including what materials, technologies and practices have been incorporated e.g., energy and water conservation, sustainable and climate resilient materials.”
Where will Council find $5 million if the Grant is not successful or only partially awarded?
EGM
Councilor Merri Southwood spoke about the $75 million being used to develop the centre and the feedback she had received about the costs. She proposed an amendment where the council obtains independent feasibility and cost-benefit analysis by an external consultant comparing all the different options that have been proposed. This amendment was not accepted.
The resolution referred to above was passed with 6 For, 2 Against (Flood and Southwood) – Councillor Brooks Horne was not at the meeting.
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