funding · Ku-ring-gai Council
$24.4m synthetic-turf upgrade approved for North Turramurra’s Norman Griffiths Oval
Ku-ring-gai Council approved a $24,408,912 upgrade for Norman Griffiths Oval and ended its support for a proposed grandstand at the nearby North Turramurra Recreation Area.
North Turramurra sports users will receive a synthetic playing surface at Norman Griffiths Oval after Ku-ring-gai Council approved a $24,408,912 project funded from the Infrastructure and Facilities Reserve.
The upgrade will proceed according to the scope costed by NSW Public Works. Council authorised the General Manager to engage the agency for the design package, flood impact assessment, Review of Environmental Factors, relevant approvals, procurement, project governance and requirements of the Office of Local Government.
Construction procurement cannot begin yet. A project delivery plan, pre-tender estimate and procurement plan must first return to Council before the project proceeds to procurement for construction.
Council also withdrew its support and rescinded all owner’s consent for a proposed grandstand and associated facilities at the North Turramurra Recreation Area.
Under Clause 10 of the Heads of Agreement for the North Turramurra Sports Field, the General Manager is to notify the Northern Suburbs Football Association that the agreement is terminated. The arrangement was the basis for the proposed grandstand and associated facilities.
The resolution also rescinded parts F and G of a resolution from Council’s 18 May 2026 extraordinary meeting and part B of a resolution from its 15 September 2026 ordinary meeting.
Councillors Ian Balachandran and Alec Taylor moved an amendment to defer the North Turramurra matter. Their proposal sought consultation with the Northern Suburbs Football Association about its intentions, along with analysis of the costs and benefits of ending the agreement, including public value and council facility upgrades.
The amendment was defeated. The substantive motion passed with the support of Mayor Kerren Wheatley and councillors Michael Devlin, Samuel Ngai, Martin Smith and Christopher Spencer. Balachandran and Taylor voted against. Councillors Christine Kay, Jeff Pettett and B Ward were absent from the vote, with Ward unable to take part because of technical difficulties with her audio-visual link.
Reference minutes
This report is based on Ku-ring-gai Council’s Extra Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 21 September 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The Norman Griffiths Oval project has an adopted budget of $24,408,912.
- The project will use a synthetic playing surface.
- Funding will come from the Infrastructure and Facilities Reserve.
- NSW Public Works is authorised to undertake design, flood, environmental, approvals, procurement and governance work.
- A project delivery plan, pre-tender estimate and procurement plan must return to Council before construction procurement proceeds.
- Council terminated the Heads of Agreement with the Northern Suburbs Football Association and withdrew owner’s consent for the proposed North Turramurra Recreation Area grandstand.
Why it matters
- The approved project commits $24,408,912 from Council’s Infrastructure and Facilities Reserve to a synthetic sports surface at Norman Griffiths Oval, while ending support for a proposed grandstand at the nearby recreation area.