Three houses to go at Broken Bay Rec Centre
The NSW Office of Sport proposes to demolish three houses at its Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Centre on the Hawkesbury River at Patonga.
A development application has been submitted to Central Coast Council for the demolition, together with the removal of an in-ground swimming pool and an adjacent filtration building.
The application itself does not state the reason for the demolition or what has prompted the move.
A heritage assessment submitted with the application describes the buildings as "disused and in various states of disrepair" and as not having any heritage significance in their own right.
"As now-defunct buildings that have outlived their usefulness, their demolition and return of the site to a natural state is a positive impact to the site.
"The plan to remediate the land to match the surrounding landscape improves the setting and views of the Juno Point heritage item."
Known as Lyrebird House, On-Call House and Goanna House, the assessment describes the cottages as of mid-to-late 20th-century construction, with a mix of brick, timber and steel.
The swimming pool is a 25m x 13.5m in-ground pool with depths ranging from 1.0 to 1.7m.
The pool area also includes a shade sail structure and concrete pathways that will be removed.
The demolition area will be returned to the natural slope of the surrounding area, according to the application.
Once the structures are removed, the areas would be filled, compacted, and landscaped with native ground covers and shrubs.
No trees would be removed.
The Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Centre, sited on Crown Land, provides facilities including a recreation hall, sports oval and accommodation for school camps, sporting events, and community groups.
It is located on a peninsula within the Hawkesbury River and is only accessible by ferry.
The site is within a designated coastal environment and coastal use area, and the application includes consideration of potential impacts on water quality and native vegetation.
The site is located adjacent to the Juno Point military site, a locally significant heritage item from World War I and World War II.
The application includes a Waste Management Plan, outlining the intended reuse, recycling, or disposal of materials generated during demolition.
The Plan claims that 47 tonnes of excavated earth will be used to fill the pool and more than 65 tonnes of timber, brick, tiles, concrete and glass will be recycled but does not give specific details of how this is to be accomplished.
Essential services, such as electricity, gas, and water, will be shut off, capped, or controlled before demolition begins, with relevant authorities notified.
SOURCE:
DA Tracker, 8 Feb 2025
DA/2105/2024, Central Coast Council