Lane Cove councillors move against synthetic turf, with Blackman Park to remain unaffected

Controversy has shrouded Lane Cove Council in recent weeks, as a coalition of independent and Greens Councillors have moved to restrict the use of synthetic turf in the LGA.

What happened: A motion set to be debated by Lane Cove Councillors this Thursday would see the development of a synthetic turf policy that will “prioritise the use” of natural turf across the LGA.

• The motion is authored jointly by Mayor Merri Southwood, Deputy Mayor Rochelle Flood and Councillor Helena Greenwell. 

Second swing: It follows a previous, more strongly-worded motion — retracted before it went before council — from April, which called for synthetic turf to never be used, unless there was “no viable alternative”. This proposal saw significant pushback from local sports clubs and other councillors. 

• The new motion clarifies it will not affect existing synthetic fields, such as those at Blackman Park.

Turf war: While synthetic turf fields have been used for decades, only in recent years have the environmental and health risks posed by the surface come under close examination. 

• Among the concerns raised by the motion are loss of biodiversity and the introduction of microplastics into the local environment. The Lane Cove LGA includes many protected bush, wetland and river areas, including parts of Lane Cove National Park.

Record holders: Recent studies from the NSW Environment Protection Authority found 16.67 percent of microplastics found in the Lane Cove River were from artificial turf. That’s against the state average of 5.5 percent.

• Additionally, research out of Western Sydney University has suggested synthetic fields were a significant contributing factor to urban heat, an issue global warming will only worsen in years to come. 

In the other corner: Local sports clubs argue they are struggling to service a growing sporting community on fields that can often be rained out. 

• They say with opportunities for construction of new playing grounds scarce, synthetic turf offers them a way to get more playtime out of existing fields. 

Do they have the numbers? It is unclear at this point whether the motion will pass. While it has the backing of four councillors, they will need one more to form a majority. Labor Councillor David Roenfeldt would not confirm to the Lorikeet whether he would support the motion, saying he believed it to be too proscriptive.

Councillor Caleb Taylor has repeatedly spoken against the motion and will most likely vote against it.

Councillors Little, Bryla and Bennison were unable to be reached.

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