One of the options for the Todd Park sports facility reconstruction

The community will be able to consider two concept design options for a future Todd Park, Blakehurst sporting facility.

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The first is for a four-changeroom community sporting and public amenity, the second will also include a gym primarily for the use of, and funded by, St George District Rugby League Football Club.

Georges River Council received $250,000 funding through the NSW Office of Sport Partnership Program 2022-23 to undertake the detailed design of a new Todd Park Sporting Facility.

An architect was engaged in February 2024 to design the building.

Consultation with St George District Rugby League Football Club (St George DRLFC), a major stakeholder of the Todd Park site, during design development, identified the two design options.

The council is expected to undertake broader community engagement of both design options to understand existing and future community demand for sporting and public facilities.

Speaking at the council's public forum on April 20, St George District Rugby League Football Club general manager, Michael McDonald said the reconstruction of the Todd Park sporting facility was an important step for local youth.

"Todd Park has always been a priority location for St George District Rugby League Football Club to establish a permanent home for our male and female pathway programs," he said.

"Plus there is a clear financial commitment from St George Leagues Club to establish a dedicated high performance gym that will support our athletes and deliver broader community benefits.

"This is not a facility designed for exclusive elite use. It is intended to be utilised as a shared community asset."

It could also be used by schools, disability groups, rehabilitation programs and others, Mr McDonald said.

"Todd Park would also allow the District to vacate the gym facilities at Harold Fraser Oval, returning that asset to the council for alternative community or commercial use," he said.

Blakehurst Ward councillor Natalie Mort said the report is something the community has been waiting on for quite some time.

"Anyone who's been down to Todd Park can see that the current facilities just aren't up to scratch anymore. They've served the community well over the years, but they're tired, outdated, and no longer meeting the needs of the people who use them every week.

"Todd Park means a lot to a lot of people. Yes, it's an important sporting field, and a key training base for the St George District Rugby League representative teams - but it's also so much more than that.

"It's a much-loved passive open space for the broader community. It's where families spend

time, where people walk through and around Carss Park, and where so many kids have learnt to ride their bikes along the perimeter track. It's part of people's daily lives, set in such a beautiful part of our area.

"That's why getting this right really matters.

"What I appreciate about this report is that it doesn't lock us into one outcome. Instead, it gives us two clear options and, importantly, puts the decision back in the hands of the community.

"One option focuses on upgrading the existing facilities to better support local use. The other looks at going a step further, including a gym to support the needs of representative players and the broader aspirations of the District League.

"But at the end of the day, this isn't just about sport - it's about people. It's about the residents who live nearby, the families who use the park, and the players who train there week in, week out. Their voices matter, and it's only right that we take the time to listen.

"As the report outlines, if the community supports the larger option, it would also rely on a funding partnership with the St George District Rugby League, which is an important part of making that vision possible," Cr Mort said.