SAVE Our Lambton Ovals co-admin Jacqui Rosewood feels that instead of fixing community concerns, Newcastle Basketball is "managing, reframing or minimising" issues to justify its proposed new stadium.
After multiple deadline extensions, Newcastle Basketball this week responded to issues raised in almost 2000 submissions to the $90 million Hunter Indoor Sports Centre.
Ms Rosewood said the documents show the same concerns coming up "again and again" about flooding, parking, cumulative impacts and the loss of open green space.
"What stands out reading through the reports is how often serious concerns are acknowledged, but then effectively minimised," she said.
"It's also difficult to understand what has been achieved during the repeated six-month extension period given many of the core concerns raised by residents and government agencies still appear fundamentally unchanged."
The project features 12 courts, including a show court with seating capacity for 2500 people, car park, a gym and cafe.
An Urbis report lodged on behalf of Newcastle Basketball said the centre would deliver a contemporary, multi-use sporting facility in a well-connected area.
Hunter Indoor Sports Centre project consultant Simon Haire said while the majority of submissions supported the plans, Newcastle Basketball acknowledges the project has generated genuine and detailed feedback.
"The purpose of the response to submissions is not to suggest there are no impacts, but to ensure those impacts are rigorously investigated, transparently assessed, and, where possible, mitigated through design refinement, operational measures, and ongoing management," Mr Haire said.
"Since the exhibition period, the project team has undertaken substantial additional work in response to issues raised.
"This has included updated flood modelling, revised traffic and event management planning, further social impact assessment, enhancements to landscaping and the public domain and continued consultation with relevant agencies and stakeholders."
Even submissions objecting to the proposal agreed a new stadium was needed, but said Wallarah and Blackley ovals are the wrong location.
Flooding was raised in about 20 per cent of submissions, with locals providing photos and video showing past inundation at the site.
Ms Rosewood said the response repeatedly described flood risks as 'unlikely', yet relies on flood refuge areas, shelter-in-place procedures and emergency management plans that involve restricting people from leaving the site until floodwaters recede.
"Parking is another example," she said.
"City of Newcastle reportedly asked for parking along Monash Road to be formalised, however the applicant pushed back saying they were not relying on Monash Road parking, yet the same documents then identify around 140 surrounding spaces along Monash Road and nearby streets as overflow event parking."
Members of the public were concerned about the effect of increased traffic in an already busy area, specifically on Turton Road.
The report said an additional assessment did not reveal any extra or unacceptable traffic impacts and no further mitigation measures were recommended.
Ms Rosewood said the response confirmed the project still relies on a single main access point off Turton Road, which she called "already one of Newcastle's busiest event corridors".
"The reports discuss scheduling major events outside busy periods at McDonald Jones Stadium, yet also identify fourteen NBL1 games running between March and August, directly overlapping with the NRL season," she said.
Ms Rosewood said the same approach applies to the loss of open space.
"Suggesting Lambton High School be given access to part of the upper training section at Arthur Edden Oval, a space that is less than a third the size of the existing Wallarah and Blackley ovals, and then stating that this would 'entirely negate the impact of the loss' feels completely disconnected from the practical reality of how these spaces are currently used by the school and wider community," she said.
Mr Haire said major community infrastructure projects involve balancing competing priorities and perspectives.
"The response to submissions does not seek to dismiss or minimise concerns," he said.
"Rather, it provides additional evidence, technical analysis and mitigation measures to support a robust and transparent assessment through the State Significant Development application process."
Mr Haire said Newcastle Basketball respects that ultimately the decision will be up to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and the Independent Planning Commission.
The department will now start its assessment of the project.
