Young local sports enthusiasts will soon have greater access to junior sporting grounds, thanks to a $3 million investment in Parramatta Park.
New upgrades to Parramatta Park’s junior sporting fields will look to encourage more kids to play sport more frequently.
Funded by the NSW Office of Sport, Member for Parramatta Dr Geoff Lee said the $3 million project will improve the turf, soil, irrigation and facilities of the park’s junior sporting fields.
“These upgrades are about giving more kids more access to quality sporting fields in Parramatta,” Dr Lee said.
Following the heavy rain western Sydney has experienced recently, Dr Lee believes it’s important that more resilient sporting fields are available for locals.
“Community sport has endured so many disruptions over the last two years and more recently with the heavy rain saturating fields,” he said.
“We’re creating more resilient sporting fields that will be less impacted by weather and can cater for up to 30 per cent more use.”
Approximately 265,000 junior sport players and school students use Parramatta Park each year. Greater Sydney Parklands expects this to rise to 350,000 with the new upgrades.
“Parramatta Park is a critical green space for Parramatta’s growing population,” Greater Sydney Parklands Acting Chief Executive Joshua French said.
“We want to help the community to access and make the most of this space to support community health and wellbeing.”
Parramatta Park’s Mays Hill precinct is set to receive a new soccer field, upgraded basketball courts and new and improved cricket nets. Five new synthetic cricket wickets will also be installed at the Cattle Paddock and Salters Field.
Much of the Mays Hill precinct was previously occupied by the Parramatta Golf Course, which closed in 2015. It also now serves as the home for the new City of Parramatta Aquatic Centre.
Significant turf and soil improvements have already been completed as part of the project, and a new site-wide irrigation plan focused on sustainable water management and ground and river water usage is in development.
Echoing Dr Lee, Mr French said Greater Sydney Parklands are looking to build resilience in Parramatta Park for the future.
“This important work means the fields will use less water in times of drought, drain better in times of rain and be more available to the community,” he said.
Work will begin this winter with the fields expected to be ready for summer.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.