By Sophie Poredos
A community meeting organised by the ‘Fred Caterson Action Group’ was held to highlight concerns about development plans of a Castle Hill Reserve before the local government elections.
More than 50 people attended the community event on Saturday the 24th of August, aimed at raising awareness of Council’s plans and of the councillors in favour of reopening community consultation of Fred Caterson Reserves Development plan. At the community gathering near Showground Road, attendees were invited to talk to upcoming candidates about their position on the development plans. Among the candidates who attended were Greens Mayoral Candidate and Councillor Mila Kasby, Independent Seema Raghav, Greens Suzannah McDonald, Greens Sam Hughes, Greens Vida Shahamat, Labor Tina Cartwright and Labor Jane Grevtseva. Greens Federal Senator David Shoebridge and Labor State MLC Peter Primrose also attended to highlight their commitment to protecting the Reserve.
The Hills Shire Council is facing a boom in population, with an expected 11,000 people projected to reside near the Showground Precinct in the next 10-15 years and more than 20,000 people once the precinct is fully developed. In line with these plans, the Council adopted The Fred Caterson Reserve Master Plan in November 2020, to create a green space and a ‘Premier Centre of Excellence’.
Due to the upcoming local government elections on September 14th, the Hills Shire Council is in a black-out period and could not comment on this article. However in a 2023 Hills to Hawkesbury article, Dr Peter Mayor Gangemi commented:
“As the Mayor, I understand how important Fred Caterson Reserve is for the health and wellbeing of this community, especially as our population continues to grow and the demand for more facilities increases. Our plans [is] to enhance Fred Caterson Reserve”.
The Fred Caterson Reserve Master Plan includes repurposing the former Pony Club of 4.8 hectares, facing Gilbert Road into sporting fields and extending the area to 6.2 hectares. Hills Shire Council has undergone a joint Memorium of Understanding (MOU) with Eastwood District Rugby Union Football Club to transform the site into a premier rugby union facility.
In a previous interview with Hills to Hawkesbury in 2023, Eastwood Rugby’s General Manager Robert Frost said he was excited for the partnership:
“Our members are excited by the move, tinged of course with some sadness but since the majority of our membership and our players are from the Hills, this is more a move to be closer to where they live”.
Under the proposition, Eastwood will add extra amenities to the ‘base-level fields provided by council and three fields for high-level competition rugby, with the exploration of synthetic playing fields. The development of the Council’s Master plan also includes expansion of its existing tennis courts and the improvements of soccer fields.
Susan Sandercock, a Hills shire resident for 50 years, is concerned with the ecological impact of this development. As the spokesperson for ‘Fred Caterson Action Group’(FCAG), their main concerns are towards Fred Caterson’s critically endangered bushland, vulnerable Powerful Owls, and the platypus population living in Cattai Creek.
At the community event, The Action Group was urging for fresh community consultation, as they believe it was not adequately advertised during the official consultation period in August of 2020. Susan passionately said:
“Most of the community still have no idea about the Masterplan which was adopted by council in November 2020. Residents weren’t consulted, no letters were sent. Fred Caterson Action Group would like the council to reopen a new community consultation period to give residents an opportunity to make submissions about the Fred Caterson Reserve Masterplan.”
Susan Sandercock is a strong advocate of community sporting facilities, which she believes can co-exist alongside ecological communities. However, she doesn’t agree with developing the old Pony Club site into an elite sporting precinct. According to ‘Fred Caterson Action Group’, they believe the Masterplan privatises community land and disregards ecological concerns for the reserve’s environment:
“Eastwood Rugby Union Club is a commercial enterprise, making this project a land grab. The old Pony Club site is public Crown land and the Masterplan will licence public land to a commercial club. Eastwood Rugby Club sold their own land in 2017 for $17 million. Shute Shield games will be televised each week, requiring broadcast quality lighting which will have a detrimental impact on the nocturnal mammals and birds”.
As part of Council’s released Environmental Report, approximately 350 trees will have to be removed which are home to our vulnerable Powerful Owl and Glossy Black Cockatoos. Sue also highlighted the Action Group’s ecological concerns for the potential installation of synthetic fields:
“We are not against development, but we want natural grass and a community space. Concrete and plastic grass cannot run alongside sensitive communities – especially when we have a local platypus population in our creek”.
With the upcoming council elections, Fred Caterson Action Group wants locals to vote for councillors who are supportive of changing the Masterplan so that it will be inclusive of the local community. At the community meeting, Susan Sandercock said:
“People can vote for change and it’s a powerful thing. We can vote according to the FCAG ward flyers. We can vote for councillors who actually care about the local community, as well as ensuring that our sensitive ecological environment is safeguarded. The information provided by the FCAG flyers allows residents to make a democratic decision. We just need seven supportive councillors to save Fred Caterson Reserve and I believe it is achievable”.
For more information you can visit Council’s Master Plan at: ‘Fred Caterson Reserve Master Plan’ and also follow the Facebook Group ‘Fred Caterson Action Group’.
