Strong support for Charmhaven all-weather sporting complex

National and local sporting organisations have strongly endorsed a proposal to build all-weather football and AFL fields at Charmhaven, a key component of a $1.6B master-planned community that will also deliver new homes, jobs, a K-12 school and protected ecology lands.

The developer behind the proposal, Third.i, has welcomed the strong support from Australia’s leading sporting organisations for the proposal, which if approved will be the region’s first synthetic all-weather sporting complex, easing the chronic shortage of year-round sporting facilities on the Coast.

It could also mean an end to wet weather forcing the closure of Council grounds across the Central Coast, leaving thousands of young players unable to play or train for months at a time.

Interim CEO of Football Australia Heather Garriock said new synthetic sporting fields and infrastructure will provide real benefits to the community and ensure players could continue playing the sport they love, regardless of weather conditions.

“Football Australia is eager to lend its support through the planning process to deliver this unique sporting complex for football players on the NSW Central Coast,” she said.

AFL NSW/ACT Venue and Government Partnership manager Samuel Thomson said in 2024 there were 2,100 AFL participants across the region.

“When we use the population growth projections and our current participation rates, if the penetration rates of participation remain the same as in 2024, by 2031 we will need access to an additional three ovals to meet demand,” he said.

“The Charmhaven Community Development presents an opportunity to create an additional AFL space to directly support the participation needs in the Central Coast region.”

Central Coast Football CEO Alex Burgin said any proposal that invested in all-weather sporting infrastructure was not just welcome, but essential for the region’s future.

“Central Coast Football and our 16,500 playing members are keen to support initiatives like the Charmhaven proposal, which will ensure football is accessible year-round for everyone,” he said.

Third.i’s Head of Acquisitions, Florian Caillon, said Charmhaven would be the Central Coast’s first ever multi-purpose, all-weather sports facility, delivering state-of-the-art AFL and football fields for over 600 local players and their families.

“We’re thrilled to have Football Australia, Central Coast Football and the AFL all supporting Charmhaven – it’s a real of vote of confidence for Third.i’s commitment in investing in new sporting infrastructure and green, open spaces which we’ll be giving to the community,” he said.

“These synthetic sports fields will be a viable, long-overdue solution to the ongoing ground closures which have continued to sideline thousands of athletes across the Central Coast.

“Charmhaven will be a game-changer for the region, providing much-needed housing, infrastructure and over 120 hectares of ecology lands, conserved and funded in perpetuity by Third.i for future generations.

“This all comes at no cost to Government.

“With sporting bodies, unions, industry and the wider community backing the proposal, Charmhaven is ready to deliver a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Central Coast.”

The Charmhaven project is currently the largest housing development planned for the Central Coast.

If approved, it will deliver over 2,000 homes (200 dedicated as affordable housing for essential workers), a low-fee school catering for 1,500 students from K-12 and a new business park creating 650 new jobs.

Contingent on planning approvals, the first new homes could be delivered in 36 months.

Central Coast Council has objected to the proposal, currently being considered by the State Government as a State Significant Development, outlining concerns relating to impacts on biodiversity, traffic control and safety.