Bayside Council will discuss placing a moratorium on approving the construction of any additional synthetic sports fields until Planning NSW has completed an investigation into sustainable alternatives to synthetic grass.
A motion put forward by Councillors Liz Barlow, James Macdonald and Andrew Tsounis is expected to be debated at tomorrow's council meeting.
It calls for a moratorium on approval of any new fields that incorporate crumbed rubber infill material until the results of the Planning NSW investigations are finalised.
This would be for sporting fields that are additional to those already constructed or those where construction has commenced.
"Based on preliminary research into the impact of synthetic turf infill material on the natural environment, the NSW Minister for Planning has commissioned an investigation into sustainable alternatives to synthetic turf," a council comment supporting the Notice of Motion states.
"It would seem prudent to consider the outcome of the Minister's investigation prior to Council approving any further synthetic sports fields.
"While Council's current project and those of the State Government at Brighton Memorial and J Graham utilise state-of-the-art materials, we would always seek to improve our practices and choice of materials should the research commissioned by the Minister make recommendations in relation to sustainable alternatives to the use of synthetic material for sports fields."
The council meeting will also consider a report on the upgrade and irrigation of natural grass fields at Riverine Park.
"The intention is to maintain all fields at Riverine as natural turf," the council report states.
