Ballina Shire Council has voted to prioritise tennis in the redevelopment of Hampton Park, but a separate decision to revisit the future of Cawarra Park has reignited a previously resolved and contested issue.
At the centre of the renewed debate is a push by the Ballina Croquet Club to secure Cawarra Park for new courts. The club currently shares facilities at the Cherry Street Sports Club and argues that the arrangement no longer meets its needs.
The approved masterplan for Hampton Park includes two grand-slam standard tennis courts, improved access, and a drop-off zone for the Cherry Street Sports Club. Croquet and other growing sports such as pickleball could not be accommodated in the final plan, although the meeting heard that bowling club management is looking at investing in new pickleball courts as part of an expansion of facilities.
Push to Reconsider Cawarra Park Gains Momentum
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Greens Party Cr Erin Karsten first moved that the entire Shire-wide Sporting Masterplan be updated to reflect changing recreational demands. When that proposal was defeated, she introduced an amendment to review only the masterplan for Cawarra Park. This passed with support from all councillors except Mayor Sharon Cadwallader. Cr Michelle Bailey was absent.
The decision has reignited discussion about a space previously earmarked for baseball and passive recreation, as well as planned facilities for the Ballina Dragon Boat Racing Club. In 2022, after strong community consultation, councillors voted to retain Cawarra Park for baseball, following vocal opposition from nearby residents concerned about the loss of green space.
Croquet Club representative Mike Russo addressed the meeting, saying members felt increasingly excluded from council planning. “Our current location has reached its limits,” he said. “We want to grow the sport in a dedicated space—not one linked to alcohol, gambling, and limited access.”
Mayor Warns of Undermining Community Trust
Mayor Cadwallader, who has served on council for over two decades, strongly opposed the decision to revisit the issue.
“The community came out in force. They said they wanted to keep their green space,” she said. “They didn’t want it fenced off.”
She warned that reopening the matter risked undermining community trust in council processes. “This was already resolved through extensive consultation,” the Mayor said.
“When we keep revisiting decisions that were made with strong public input, it sends a message that those voices don’t count. It’s not just about the money—we’re talking about the integrity of our processes.”
However, Cr Karsten argued that the community’s recreational needs have changed since the last masterplan was completed in 2019.
“We’ve seen the rise of pickleball, the loss of our only squash court, and the need for more croquet space. This is about updating our planning accordingly,” she said.
Cr Kiri Dicker also supported the review, saying she had reconsidered her previous support for baseball at Cawarra Park.
“Open space is increasingly valuable, especially with State Government planning changes leading to more high-density housing,” she said. “We need to find a balance between passive open space and active sport use.”
However, Cr Simon Kinny criticised the original motion to update the full sporting masterplan, which council staff estimated would cost $50,000. “In the context of our budget constraints and special rate variation discussions, I see this as reckless spending,” he said.
Cr Simon Chate expressed concern about the impact on baseball. “It’s a seasonal sport, but people are passionate about it,” he said. “Recent wet weather has affected training, but that doesn’t mean the sport is inactive. We need to be careful not to displace existing users.”
Next Steps for Cawarra Park
The revised Cawarra Park proposal is now scheduled to return to council in June. Councillors are expected to consider new options, alongside further community consultation.
While tennis has secured its place in Hampton Park, the future of croquet and the broader use of Cawarra Park remains unresolved.
As the Mayor cautioned, “We can’t do it all at once. But we must respect the process and the voices that were already heard.”
Main photo: 2022 protest against croquet at Cawarra Park
With so many sports needing facilities including pickleball, building a second croquet complex when there’s a perfectly good one just blocks away seems crazy. Trust the elitist Greens to support this, but disappointed only the Mayor could see the folly of it. Residents of Cawarra Park went through this already we don’t need to have this fight again.
There’s no reason why – given the age profile of croquet players and the age profile of Ballina – we should not seek to expand the facilities to support the growth of this sport at Cawarra Park.
There is plenty of room to accommodate the sport at Cawarra Park without the complete loss of access to passive recreation space.
This is not about taking firm positions for one of the other – both can be provided for without any need for upset or loss of amenity.
Debate on this subject – and too many others – goes straight to outrage and absolutism. It is not needed nor helpful.
It is not good for our little gem of a shire, and anyone not seeking/promoting sensible common ground solutions should not be considered a good faith participant in community debates.