Sporting upgrades to continue as part of Council’s capital works program

The 2019/20 capital works program includes a host of exciting new and upgraded sports facilities to ensure Council keeps up with the demands of our active community on the Northern Beaches.

Be it irrigation work at Manly Oval, new netball courts at Avalon or replacing the baseball nets at North Narrabeen Reserve, Council continues to be proactive in its mission to improve sporting facilities for locals on the peninsula.

Other planned upgrades include the soon to be completed skate park at Lionel Watts Reserve, a second skate venue in North Curl Curl as well as upgraded lights at Beacon Hill Oval and Porter Reserve in Newport.

Northern Beaches Council Mayor Michael Regan said the upgrades were further demonstration of Council’s determination to meet community expectations when it comes to sport.

“It is no secret the northern beaches is an area which embraces sport at all levels,’’ he said.

“I have always loved the fact it isn’t just the mainstream sports like rugby league, netball, cricket and football which people get behind – our community is into everything from BMX to pickle ball to badminton.

“To keep up with are investing millions of dollars to make our fields and facilities as high a standard as possible.”

The ongoing and planned sporting upgrades follow Council’s $3.4 million upgrade of Lionel Watts Reserve in Frenchs Forest in late July, making it the area’s largest sporting venue.

Two full size synthetic football fields, a smaller junior football pitch plus a senior AFL oval are now in use, with the multi-access facility receiving rave reviews from sports participants of all ages.

Council also resolved in September to convert one of the football pitches at Careel Bay in Avalon to synthetic. This will follow the conversion of the sports fields at Millers Reserve in Manly Vale, with work due to commence in the second half of 2020.

Further planned upgrades on the northern beaches in 2019/20 include the following: