Darkes Town Centre Sporting and Community Hub Stage 1

Overview Wollongong City Council is progressing the Darkes Town Centre Sporting and Community Hub Stage 1, a significant investment in regional sporting infrastructure delivering a high-quality multi-sport facility on an approximately 8-hectare site in Wollongong. About The site is located on an existing farm on Dharawal Country, alongside Forest Creek, with views to the north and west towards the escarpment and Mount Kembla. A retail area is planned on the eastern side of Rainbird Drive, with housing planned for surrounding areas. Scope The scope includes: Two natural turf playing fields catering to rugby, soccer, AFL, and cricket Cricket practice nets Access roads and car parking Shared pathways Landscape elements and associated services Hard courts Refined circulation and servicing arrangements to support community and regional-level use At this stage, the design has advanced beyond concept planning to include coordinated civil, hydraulic, electrical, irrigation, and landscape inputs. Key elements of the design include: Refined site layout responding to stakeholder feedback across multiple hold points Preliminary bulk earthworks design balancing flood immunity, usability, and constructability Integrated irrigation design based on potable water sources Utility servicing strategies including water, sewer, power, lighting, and communications Car park and access road design accommodating vehicles, buses, and service movements Ongoing flood modelling and refinement of levels to address site constraints