THE imminent conversion of Norman Griffiths Oval from natural to synthetic turf has left sports and environmental groups within the Ku-ring-gai community divided.
Proponents of synthetic turf argue the all-weather surface will double usage from 30 to 60 hours a week, increasing community access to playing fields. They allege the synthetic surface will benefit the environment by conserving water usage and reducing the need for pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
Those opposed to synthetic turf cite health and environmental risks, from ambient heat affecting plant communities to microplastic runoff into local waterways. Made of polypropylene and polyethylene, the non-recyclable “plastic pitch” has a lifespan of 8-10 years and must be regularly disinfected and sanitised.
Kevin Johnson, President of the West Pymble Football Club, has spent nearly a decade lobbying for the Norman Griffiths Oval’s conversion to synthetic turf. He describes the oval’s current condition as “notoriously bad” and hopes the new synthetic surface will encourage participation in local sports, increase field usage and reduce player injuries.
Norman Griffiths Oval is a designated flood detention basin, reducing the impact of downstream flooding from Quarry Creek and Bicentennial Park during heavy rain events. According to Johnson, the oval is typically the first ground closed in Ku-ring-gai after large rainfall – and the last to open.
“When it rains, the oval remains closed for a decent period of time until it dries out, which really restricts our usage of the oval during the season,” he says. “The ground is well shaded and surrounded by trees, so it typically doesn’t get the required amount of sun to dry.”
Playing on the oval when it hasn’t fully dried creates an uneven surface, creating dangerous conditions for players. Statistics from the Northern Suburbs Football Association (NSFA) reveal a disproportionate number of injuries occur on the Norman Griffiths Oval. Knee and ankle injuries are most common during the wet season, with upper-body injuries (broken arms and wrists) typical during drought periods when the surface hardens.
Johnson is confident the new synthetic surface will benefit the community, describing it as a “much safer, better-quality surface for people to use.” He has worked closely alongside Ku-ring-gai Council and feels confident with environmental assessments and procedures produced.
“The last thing we’d want to do is construct a facility that could potentially harm the natural environment,” Johnson says. “Council has also advised they will be using an organic, natural infill, likely cork…In the very unlikely event that it does get into the local waterways, we wouldn’t expect it to cause any damage.”
Eleven community organisations have written letters of support for the upgrade. The minutes of the Ku-ring-gai Council Ordinary Meeting of Council from 20th October 2020 reveal community consultations were positive for the development. Alongside receiving nine submissions for the proposal – six in favour, three against – council also received 706 responses from the online survey, with 677 respondents (96%) either supporting or strongly supporting the initiative.
To the Natural Turf Alliance (NTA), however, this community survey carries little weight. They believe the community is not adequately informed about the technical details of synthetic turf and its environmental impacts.
“These ovals have to be replaced every eight to ten years, or even less if the council doesn’t maintain it,” says Mignon Booth, a spokesperson from the Natural Turf Alliance. “You have to dig up an entire oval of non-recyclable plastic turf and infill, creating a mountain of landfill which council then has to dispose of.”
The Natural Turf Alliance is campaigning for evidence-based public policy. They maintain there is insufficient evidence to substantiate the claims being made, such as cork infill being “environmentally friendly”.
“There is zero technical information publicly available about cork infill and how its treated,” says Booth. “Being a ‘natural alternative’, one would presume it would grow things like moss and mould and therefore [create] more of a problem with the algaecides and the water pollution.”
Booth also counters claims that synthetic turf will increase field usage within the community, as the synthetic surface prohibits passive recreation such as picnics, community fairs and dog walking. This is because synthetic turf is sterile and impervious: spilt drinks, dog urine and even bird poo will not soak into the grass but will remain in situ unless washed away or physically cleaned.
Among other issues – including the risk of plastic and infill migrating into waterways – the Natural Turf Alliance are concerned about the ambient heat impacting adjacent plant communities. Norman Griffiths Oval is surrounded by Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest, a critically endangered ecological community (CEEC) that is protected under state and federal environmental biodiversity legislation. Its status as a CEEC means it is at high risk of extinction.
“One of the big issues when dealing with CEECs is you have to legally use the precautionary principle,” says Bron Hana, from the Natural Turf Alliance. “If you suspect [a development] could have a negative impact, it shouldn’t go ahead. That’s the council’s responsibility […] but we know the council has not undertaken any comprehensive environmental assessment on the impact on the CEEC.”
The Ku-ring-gai Council’s draft Review of Environmental Factors states, “Given that the proposal does not propose removal of any trees or the disruption of the Endangered Ecological Communities, the proposal is not anticipated to result in any unacceptable ecological impacts, provided the mitigation measures detailed in this REF are implemented.”
The Natural Turf Alliance allege this is an inadequate environmental assessment. The REF does not explore synthetic turf’s heat impact, despite the plastic turf generating heat up to three times the local air temperature.
“What we need is comprehensive studies into the impacts of these synthetic fields, so we are basing decisions on facts, not claims,” says Hana. “We just want infrastructure based on evidence, and in Australia, the data isn’t there.”
Construction at the Norman Griffiths Oval is scheduled to begin in early 2022.