The school and broader community want to provide outdoor, all-weather playing spaces for our kids. Physical activity is vital for healthy lives for our children now and essential to building lifetime habits of health.

Grassroots sport is an essential facet of our quality of life in the inner southern suburbs of Adelaide and we need to support the not-for-profit clubs that make these opportunities available to our wider community.

Our popular local public school deserves the investment of $4.1 million to upgrade its facilities and provide active play and elite sporting opportunities for its students.

The multi-sport pitch is essential to playing competitive modern hockey and will also accommodate netball, touch football and other sports.

Modern hockey is required to be played on a ‘turf’ surface (as opposed to a grass surface) in accordance with International Federation of Hockey (FIH) requirements.

The site was identified in 2020 by the then state government, after it abandoned plans to re-home the Forestville Hockey Club at the Women’s Memorial Playing Fields.

More than 20 sites across the southern and eastern suburbs were assessed at that time – and assessed again by the new state government in 2023.

Unley High School has been chosen as the preferred site due to its location in the south-east suburbs of Adelaide, the schools desire to have access to an all-weather sports field on-site and proximity to other schools in the area. The chosen location at the school does not displace any other organised sporting group and increases the utility of that area.

The school is keen to re-introduce a comprehensive hockey program for its students. A number of Unley High School students currently play hockey at club level and for the school in the annual Secondary Schools Knockout competition.

The location is also in keeping with the membership of the Forestville Hockey Club, with which the Kingswood Hockey Club was merged in 1993. Most of the club’s members reside in the Mitcham and Unley council areas.

Local, state and federal government policies support the development of shared-use facilities and agreements at schools. Shared use arrangements increase community access to sports facilities, limit costs and ensure new sporting and community assets are well used. This is outlined in Infrastructure SA’s 20 Year Strategy.

Forestville Hockey Club will be entitled to access the land upon which the multi-sports pitch is located under a Joint Use Agreement between Unley High School and Forestville Hockey Club. This agreement is currently being prepared by the Department for Education.

During the winter season (April - September), Unley High School and other schools in the area will use the all-weather sports field before and during school hours on weekdays and on Saturday mornings. Forestville Hockey Club will use the all-weather sports field outside of school hours on weekday evenings and on weekends. Hours will be reduced in summer as very few competition matches are held with the all-weather sports field being used predominantly by Unley High School during school hours and by the Club for training on some weekday evenings and weekends. See Proposed Hours of Operation table.

Unley High School has agreed to allow use of the existing 177 on-site parking spaces at the school on weekends and weeknights. As training and games will be held outside of school hours, club operations are not expected to impact local traffic, particularly at peak school traffic times.

Forestville Hockey Club will encourage players and visitors to use the onsite parking areas at Unley High School.

The site of the new pitch is on school land owned by the Minister for Education. When the pitch is built, the community will still have access to 80% of the currently available grassed area at the school.

The area for the multi-sport pitch is currently configured as two school soccer pitches of approximately 10,000 square metres. The facility will cover 5,900 square metres, leaving approximately 4,000 square metres for ongoing soccer use and as grassed open space for community recreation purposes.

The public will also continue to be able to access Unley High School’s main oval, accessible from Kitchener Street, and Balham Avenue Reserve along the laneway between Kitchener Street and Cross Road for recreational purposes, outside of school hours, as they currently enjoy.

The multi-sport pitch will be lit with modern, directional LED lighting that is designed to minimise light spill.

Click here to see a lighting image.

The use of the field for hockey games and practice will involve some noise from players and whistles, however the 25 metre buffer between the field and nearby homes will disperse noise.

Consideration of any liquor license is not part of the City of Mitcham grant process or the planning application. Liquor licenses are granted by the licensing court in a separate process.

Like many other sports clubs, the club plans to apply for a liquor licence to permit the sale of alcohol to adults on match days and after senior training. This is an important fundraising activity for any sporting club and ensures it is self-sustainable and doesn’t draw on excessive taxpayers funds to operate.

Forestville Hockey Club has successfully held a continuous licence in a residential area for several decades.

Forestville Hockey Club is a Level 3 accredited ‘Good Sports Club’ and has previously been awarded Good Sports South Australian ‘Club of the Year’ for its responsible service of alcohol.

Any licence is subject to an application to the Licensing Court and, if granted, conditions will likely be applied, such as restricting the hours of sale.

The court will consider public submissions as part of its deliberations. It’s anticipated that a licence will be sought in 2024.

Severe penalties apply for breaches of liquor licenses and inspectors visit licensed premises randomly or upon receiving an adverse report. People who serve alcohol are required to successfully complete Responsible Service of Alcohol qualifications.

The club is committed to the responsible service of alcohol. Any licenced clubroom will be at least 70 metres from the nearest residences. School students will not be able to access licensed areas at any time.

A licence will be sought during the Winter hockey season for:

Monday to Thursday evenings from 5.30pm to 9.30pm
Friday evenings from 6.30pm to midnight
Saturday from 12pm to midnight
Sunday from 12pm to 9.30pm

The club room is designed for sporting club use and is not suitable for large functions. The club does not intend to hire the club room to external users or for events such as birthday celebrations or weddings.

The multi-sport pitch does NOT contain PFAS (Per and Polyfluroalky Substances).

The multi-sport pitch at Unley High School is 100% Australian made by Polytan, and complies with all relevant Australian standards for construction materials suitable for use in schools.

Polytan’s General Manager David Carpenter stated in writing to the club on 19 June 2023:
“I can confirm that APTA* have extensively surveyed our supply chain and tested where possible and can confirm that from June 2023 all products made at APTA are to the best of our ability and current knowledge PFAS free.”

The pitch is made of fibre which incorporates bio-ethylene (a waste product from sugar cane production that is processed into bio-ethanol which is further refined into ethylene and then polymerised into plastic resin).

The proprietary CoolPlus sports yarn reduces fibre splicing and the risk of loose fibres. Visit the Braskem website for further details and environmental credentials.

A green playing surface has been chosen for the site as this will integrate best with the existing landscape and minimise heat. The alternative blue surface was considered but has been discounted to improve the visual amenity of the school and its neighbours.

The playing surface will be sand dressed, eliminating the need for watering and reducing maintenance requirements.

Storm water will be accumulated in a dedicated underground storm water detention tank and will run-off into the City of Mitcham storm water drainage system.

The sand dressed playing surface requires no irrigation for games or training, nor any use of fertilisers and pesticides as required for natural grass fields.

The playing surface will be fully recycled once it reaches its end of life at this site.

No significant trees will need to be removed to build the pitch.

*APTA is Advanced Polymer Technology Asia-Pacific, the Australian manufacturer and parent of Polytan

All-weather playing surfaces are long lasting and can sustain high levels of usage, particularly during wet weather when natural turf surfaces become unplayable.

Typically, an all-weather playing surface will need to be replaced after 10 years while the shock pad will last 2-3 surface replacements. The asphalt and base layer are expected to last for over 20 years.

The new synthetic surface being installed is made of modern weave material using production techniques that have greatly reduced microplastic shedding during use. In addition, proper surface grooming programs reduce the amount of fibre available to enter the wider environment, especially storm water systems.

Furthermore, each drainage point around the pitch will have installed a Sportfix Trash Box to prevent residual broken fibre, not removed by grooming, from entering the storm water system. In addition, there will be a 110,000 liter detention tank to capture water from the pitch in the event of storms to prevent it getting into the storm water system before settling out unwanted material. All filtration and sediment systems will also be subject to routine cleaning to maintain optimum efficiency.

Significant advances have been made in recent years as communities around the world expect greater care for our environment. As a consequence, manufacturers of synthetic surfaces have had to adapt and manufacture product that better meets community expectation.

We commissioned a review of current peer reviewed literature to provide a current perspective and make that review paper “A review of recent research and findings on the environmental aspects of artificial turf surfaces” available here

The bar will be used to serve alcohol, other drinks and food to club members and visitors who attend training sessions and matches. The limited capacity of the proposed clubrooms acts as a constraint on the number of members and visitors who can use the bar. Furthermore, it is planned that the license to operate will require closure by 9:30pm during the week and midnight on Saturdays (Sunday evenings will be closed).

In addition, windows will be non-opening and doors will have auto closing devices such that they cannot be left open, thus controlling noise spill.

The clubroom and bar will not be hired to external users or made available for outside functions.

The surface selected will be sand dressed and will not require water to enable play.

The sand dress pitch was selected, as:

• It supports multi-purpose use, including the ability to play sports such as netball and touch football. This is integral to our partnership with UHS and fit-for-purpose.

• It is less expensive to build and operate. Construction costs are lower because no irrigation and water recycling systems are required.

• The cost of operations is lower because it avoids the cost of power to operate the irrigation system and it also avoids water consumption costs.

• Improved environmental performance, no water required to irrigate the pitch.

• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has promoted the use of modern pitches which do not require irrigation as part of its ongoing campaign to minimise the environmental impact of pitch construction and operation.

• FIH is banning the use of water-based pitches in International Games Post Paris 2024, and no more global tournaments are to be played on watered fields after this time. It is anticipated that water-based fields will be phased out nationally and locally and replaced with sand-dressed pitches in the future. Our project aligns with this approach.

It is not expected that there will be a “heat island effect”. We understand that a heat island is likely to occur when a combination of man-made elements come together. These include:

• Removal of significant trees,

• Construction of large building which generate heat through use of mechanical air-conditioning and other heat generating equipment,

• Developments which restrict air flow,

• Construction of hard surfaces such as roadways and other man-made surfaces. This would include artificial turf, however the other factors required to cause a ‘heat island effect’ do not exist in this location,

• The scale of the development.

Refer to Learn About Heat Islands | US EPA and Review paper by Dr Sasja Beestra-Hill (Also provided with our full report to Council).

The planned development includes use of a man-made surface but is not associated with developments which will restrict airflow such as large buildings which will also generate mechanical heat. The development includes the retention of all large trees and the planting of additional trees.

The following table summarises the end-of-life use of the different components of the pitch and demonstrates that all elements of the artificial surface are recyclable.

Surface
The old surface may be reused at the end of its life. The old Hockey SA pitch 1 surface was almost 100% reused when replaced in 2022.

The pitch supplier is working with partners to establish a recycling plant to recycle old surfaces. It is expected to open in 2024. In approximately 10 years-time when our pitch is due for replacement it will be recycled through this facility.

Advice from PolyTan and online here

Shock pad
The shock pad is recyclable at the end of its life. It is made from recycled tyres, avoiding them from entering landfill.

PolyTan product specifications

Asphalt layer
The asphalt layer is expected to last at least 3 surface replacement cycles (30+ years). Asphalt is a material that can be recycled.

PolyTan advice

The Club is not aware of any scientific modelling which would enable us to predict the increase in surface air temperature when compared to the current natural turf. We understand that the surface temperature of the artificial pitch area will depend on a range of factors including:

• the prevailing weather conditions,

• ventilation around the surface,

• the type of surface selected., and

• surface colour.

Similarly, we understand natural grass surfaces will vary in temperature depending on weather, the type of grass used and, most importantly, the extent of irrigation.

The following factors can be confirmed:

• Polytan have provided temperature readings in the same weather conditions of their blue and green playing surfaces. The green surface is approximately 3 degrees cooler than the blue-coloured surface.

• From a temperature perspective synthetic pitches perform similarly (within 1-2 degrees higher or lower) to other hard court sporting surfaces such as concrete and asphalt facilities.

Similarly, we understand natural grass surfaces will vary in temperature depending on weather, the type of grass used and, most importantly, the extent of irrigation.

The following factors can be confirmed:

• Polytan have provided temperature readings in the same weather conditions of their blue and green playing surfaces. The green surface is approximately 3 degrees cooler than the blue-coloured surface.

• From a temperature perspective synthetic pitches perform similarly (within 1-2 degrees higher or lower) to other hard court sporting surfaces such as concrete and asphalt facilities.

The Club has acknowledged that the surface temperature of the new pitch will be higher than the temperature of a natural grass surface. We expect the surface temperature of the new pitch will be comparable with the surface temperature of the hard-court surfaces on the Balham Avenue Reserve and the new cricket Pitches at Kingswood Oval.

Research suggests that the synthetic playing surfaces will heat up when exposed to sunlight but will cool quickly when the sun sets or there us cloud cover. This contrasts with asphalt and concrete surfaces which retain heat.

The surface selected for the new pitch is expected to minimise the surface temperature because:

• It uses a sand infill and not a recycled rubber infill. It is understood that the use of rubber infill contributes significantly to higher surface temperature.

• A green playing surface has been selected instead of a blue playing surface because we are advised the green playing surface will be up to approximately 2 degrees cooler than a blue surface.

• The selected playing surface is manufactured with a fibre structure which our supplier advises minimises the energy absorbed from sunlight and hence reduces the surface temperature of the pitch.

The Club will explore opportunities for other community users the pitch when it is not in use by the Club or school. This access will be managed by the Club to ensure the use does not damage the pitch or create public liability risks.

The extensive use of the pitch during the hockey season will mean there will be little opportunity for other users during the Hockey season. In the off season, there will be time available for other users for organized sporting programs, such as touch football. As the Club is responsible for the cost of operating and maintaining the pitch any external use will be on a user pays basis.

We are open to work with school and Council to formulate measures to restrict access from the Balham Avenue Reserve to the School when the pitch is being used by the Club. This will discourage parking and access from Kyre and Seafield Avenues. This may be achieved by simply installing a gate which is locked when the Club uses the pitch.

The mechanism for securing the access point will be designed to ensure all required emergency exits are available at all times. We note that there are other easy alternative exit points via Truro Avenue and Kitchener Street.

The Club does not propose to provide public access to the pitch unless it is managed and supervised by the Club. If the Club agrees to make the pitch available to other users it will unlock the pitch and supervise the users while they are on site. Use by other parties will be on a user pays basis.

It should be noted that the intention is to promote the majority of hockey related car parking to the southern and teachers car park (92 car park spaces), rather than the Northern car park used by Life Be in It Gym.

Circa’s parking and traffic assessment confirmed that there will be little or no change in traffic during existing peak periods associated with school set-down and pick-up times.

It is evident that peak usage of the school site, by non-school users, occurs on Saturday from late morning through the afternoon. This peak usage is associated with both the Life Be in It Gym program, which occurs every week, and the Unley Old Scholars’ Soccer Club usage of the Main Oval on Saturday’s during winter.

Review of the Soccer Club’s fixtures for 2023 indicates their teams either all play at home or all away. This means that on some Saturdays, when they play at home, usage by the Soccer Club will be high. Conversely, on other weeks, when they are playing away, the Soccer Club’s usage of on-site parking will be low. We also note that parking becomes congested only when both Soccer and Gymnasium activities are scheduled at the same times. Soccer alone does not create a parking problem.

Hockey Club usage of the pitch on weekends, will not require the Club to schedule games for all of the available timeslots available over the weekend. In 2023 we had 10 senior teams which would require 5 home fixtures per week which could be scheduled over 8 available timeslots on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (ie. 63% of afternoon time).

Demand for parking by Forestville Hockey Club and its visitors will also vary depending on which teams are playing at home. Our Premier League teams will attract the largest numbers of people and demand for parking will be in-line with the maximum specified in the Circa traffic report (Approx 50 – 60 cars).

Our other teams do not, generally, attract many spectators. Experience shows many Forestville players from our lower teams, as well as most visiting teams, will carpool when travelling to play “home” games. This means the expected carparking demand from these teams will be 20-25 cars.

The Club proposes to minimise the impact of the new pitch on local parking by managing the fixturing of our teams. On Saturday’s, when the Soccer Club has home games scheduled, we will:

• Schedule more games on Sunday afternoons and less on Saturday

• Schedule our lower grade teams to play on Saturday so that demand for parking by hockey users is minimized.

We will also schedule our Premier League teams to play on Saturday when Soccer fixtures are away or on Sunday afternoons.

In addition to the above measures, the FHC and UHS are working with the State Government to discuss the opportunity for the State to review the car parking arrangements after 12 months of use. If there is evidence of challenges with on-site car parking the State may be able to facilitate additional parking onsite.

If overflow parking was required on the Street, it would be minimal at best given the modest number of cars associated with hockey pitch use.

The proposed maximum hours of operation are clearly documented in our submission and were previously documented in our information release to support the community consultation. If use of the bar does not warrant opening for the maximum hours we will open the bar for less than the maximum hours. Actual operating hours will be adjusted, within the envelope of the maximum hours, to respond to demand and we can only assess demand when we have commissioned the new facility.

The hours of operation of the bar are consistent with the hours approved by Council for the Kingswood Oval clubrooms.