April 2017 Update

Following the February 2017 meeting one of our members Glen Moore was able to organise a meeting between the users (Mona Vale Junior Rugby & Peninsula Cricket) and our project proposer/member Roger Johnston & himself. The meeting was a success whereby all parties agreed there needed to be improvement and that the only way to get it was cooperation. Roger Johnston also advised the Newport Primary School were also users and that he had positive feedback from them for oval improvements. There were now plastic fencing alternatives which had been found to be highly effective and a lot cheaper so this was a good forward step. A concept plan was now needed and then dialogue between the neighbours to the oval to try and agree with them what were acceptable improvements to them. Roger has since been in touch with some architects who have shown good interest in putting together a design. The proposal would be to agree a design plan with the parties involved and then put that plan to council and look at the funding alternatives and access to grants.

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One of our members (Roger Johnston)  at the June 2014 NRA meeting has suggested that we need to uplift the look of Newport with an upgrade and enhancement of Newport Oval (western corner of Barrenjoey Rd and Bardo Rd as you enter Newport from the South). The enhancement goes to the quality of the ground itself, the amenities block and the fence. Some of the examples may be found under ‘Photo Galleries’ (including an artists impression of what Newport Oval would look like with a fence and grandstand).

On the 23rd March 2015 the following submission was presented and discussed with the Mayor Jacqueline Townsend;

Submission: http://pittwater.org.au/documents/Newport_Oval_Submisson_March_2015.pdf

 

Please read below re suggestions from Roger to take this matter forward;

In order to take a proposal to council it will require community support initially by way of a petition or a letter from a community body or bodies to encourage this project to go ahead.

Who are the main bodies that speak for this oval?

These are:

1. Newport Primary School

2. The Community who use this oval.

3. The Peninsula Cricket Club

4. Mona Vale Junior Rugby League Club

5. Numerous teams as a practice field.

As you may know ,and to my surprise, according to the Pittwater draft on recreational space, Newport Oval is the most used oval in the Pittwater Council Region. The plan is to sell the idea to Pittwater Council that this oval with it’s history and it’s popularity deserves to be made a centre piece for the Pittwater Council Community. It could look like Manly Oval or Mosman Oval and deservedly have the right to be a classic sports ground like many town and country fields have.

Not only that but it will bring people to the oval to watch sport and treat it as the village park where families can use it more other than just sporting events but recreation events as well.  It’s a long term goal but it worth every cent of it.

I would like to go to council with letters of support or even a petition or maybe some way of going through a funding scheme by way of donations. The council is interested and I know the community is too.  Do you think that the NRA would support a funding idea and can we put it to the meeting next time around?

1. May I suggest that the NRA send an official letter to MVJRLC and The Peninsula Cricket Club asking for their support in upgrading the Newport Oval.

2. Ask the members if they would support some way of funding this idea through the community by way of the NRA website.

3. A petition from local businesses in the village and a petition notepad on their benches asking for signatures?

I will be speaking with the Newport School Principal Margaret Charleton soon and see what plan we can come up with as well.

Cheers, Roger

Please tell us what you think by making comments to this post and coming along to the next meeting.

 

Newport Oval 2014

Newport Oval 2014