We congratulate Merri-bek Council officers and consultants in drawing up a policy and decision making framework on Sports Surfaces that meets the legislative requirements for triple bottom line assessments involving social, environmental and financial factors, as per the Local Government Act 2020.

This was a major argument in the Climate Action Merribek submission in April 2020 that decisions being taken on sports fields surfaces were failing to address legislative requirements, and Merri-bek’s own existing Climate and Waste policy commitments.

We think this is potentially a ground breaking policy for sports surfaces and as a tool for good governance in incorporating the triple bottom line as part of decision making generally.

The Triple bottom line rhetoric is often trotted out, rarely having substance in practice. However, this draft policy can be improved in a number of ways to deliver even better governance outcomes on synthetic turf.

Recommendations:

1. Weighting of factors in the Decision making Framework tool needs to be transparent
2. Guidelines needed in how to apply the precautionary principle as part of this policy
3. Decisions taken on synthetic turf for sportsfields need to be Fiscally responsible.
4. Keep the community, relevant sports organisations, and general public informed on progress and results of all sports surface trials conducted
5. Apply this decision making framework to a wider scope in Merri-bek, including to inform decision making for kindergartens and school playgrounds.
6. Consider updating Nature Strip Guidelines for a general prohibition against use of synthetic turf, with exceptions for applicants to justify through using the decision making framework tool.
7. Liase and promote this policy with other Councils and the State Government to enhance good governance on use of synthetic turf in public places.
8. Consideration should be given for restriction on use of both natural turf sports fields and synthetic turf sports fields during wet weather conditions. The former to reduce damage to the surface and maintain playability, the latter to reduce exacerbating microplastics pollution to stormwater and local waterways.
9. Any use of synthetic turf, or hybrid turf, should have an End of Life Management Plan developed and in place, which outlines costs, disposal or recycling method, and the risks and greenhouse gas emissions associated with end of life. The advice of the NSW CSE that Cutting up EOL sporting fields for use in other settings be avoided should be adopted.

We welcomed the decision of Council in August 2023 announcing this draft policy.

See Below for our full submission:

References

See Also Our Campaign page on Synthetic Turf