At Woollahra Oval 2 and 3 in Rose Bay, a proposal for two new netball and basketball courts is being shaped around a familiar local sporting pressure: growing demand for training space, particularly for girls’ sport, in an area where court access remains limited.
Rose Bay Courts Proposal Centred On Local Sporting Demand
Woollahra Oval 2 and 3 already carries a busy sporting role in Rose Bay, with cricket using the ground in summer and rugby union in winter. The latest proposal for the site does not seek to replace that role, but to add another layer to it through two dual-use courts for netball and basketball.
The draft plan would place the courts at the northern end of the oval, creating a hard-surface area line-marked for both sports. Each court would have reversible netball and basketball rings at both ends, while four additional netball rings would be installed along the sides of the courts.
The proposal has been shaped by an identified shortage of netball and basketball courts for training and casual use. That shortage has been linked to the recent growth of girls’ sport in the local area, with feedback from schools, clubs and families pointing to limited nearby space for netball training.
Local netball demand is a key part of the proposal. Existing facilities in the area include two hard-surface netball and basketball courts at Christison Park in Vaucluse and one grass netball court at Lough Playing Fields in Double Bay. The proposed Rose Bay courts would add more training and casual play space without removing cricket or rugby from Woollahra Oval 2 and 3.
New Courts Designed Around An Existing Oval
The proposal would require the three existing cricket practice nets to be shifted about 45 metres east towards Kent Road. The relocated nets would not be lit.
That change is intended to make room for the courts in the northern section of the oval, where the space between the rugby fields and boundary fence narrows from west to east. The layout is designed so the courts can sit within the existing sporting area while current cricket and rugby matches and training continue.
The proposed playing surface would be an acrylic painted coating on a concrete or asphalt base. That surface is already used at the netball and basketball courts at Christison Park in Vaucluse and the basketball court at Lyne Park.
Woollahra Oval 2 and 3 currently includes two rugby playing fields, an artificial grass cricket wicket and three cricket practice nets. Rose Bay Community Garden is also located within the park.
Lighting Plan Tries To Limit Nearby Impact
The proposal includes sports lighting for the new courts, but not for the relocated cricket nets.
The lighting design would use eight poles, with four poles for each court. Each pole would be eight metres high and fitted with one luminaire. The design is intended to direct light onto the court surface while reducing spill and glare outside the court area.
The lighting would be designed to meet Australian Standards for outdoor netball and basketball training and recreational play, as well as standards that deal with the effects of outdoor lighting on nearby areas.
Court users would activate the lights through a push-button system beside each court. Each activation would last for 30 minutes, and the lights could not be switched on after 9pm.
Bookings would be available from 7am to 9pm on weekdays. Weekend bookings would be limited to daytime hours, with no bookings accepted after 5pm. When the courts were not booked, small groups and individuals could use them free of charge between 7am and 9pm each day.
Netball training bookings are mainly associated with the winter season, while basketball training can occur throughout the year, particularly during school terms.
Feedback To Shape The Rose Bay Proposal
Community feedback on the draft plan opened on Wednesday 27 May 2026 and closes at 11:59 pm on Wednesday 8 July 2026.
A pop-up information session is scheduled at Woollahra Oval 2 and 3 on Tuesday 16 June, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Feedback can also be submitted online, by email or by mail.
After the feedback period closes, responses will be reviewed before the proposal moves to its next stage. If the plan proceeds, an environmental review would be prepared and assessed before any construction.
The project timeline indicates the courts could open in 2027, but only if the required review is approved and the works go ahead.
Published 5-June-2026
