Sutherland Shire Council has celebrated a highly commended for the new
Ridge Sports Complex at Barden Ridge in the Award for Open Space
Development at the Parks and Leisure Australia Awards.
Worth over $100 million, The Ridge is a local and regional multi–sports facility offering an international standard athletics track; a multi court synthetic netball facility; playing fields for soccer, cricket, rugby union and Oztag; an award-winning 52-bay multi-deck golf driving range and an 18–hole golf course.
Sutherland Shire Mayor Kent Johns said the recently completed golf course, as a championship level course, was undoubtedly one of Sydney’s leading public golf facilities.
“Since the course opened in February, more than 15,000 players have given it their tick of approval. Based on current figures more than 100,000 players are expected to visit the golf course and driving range this year.”
NSW Premier, Barry O’Farrell officially opened the The Ridge Sports Complex in May and said that it sets the standard for community sporting facilities in Sydney.
“The new golf course is the first to be opened in metropolitan Sydney in over five years with golfers from as far north as the northern beaches, as far west as Penrith and as far south as Wollongong coming to The Ridge to try out the course.”
The sporting complex boasts strong environmental credentials. Built on a former waste disposal site which has been treated, filled, contoured and compacted, the site is self watering thanks to a 40 megalitre dam which was constructed in 2008.
The site also includes a 120 hectare bushland conservation area and has been extensively landscaped with native plants and seedlings.
Planning is now underway for an additional component of the complex, a new off road bike park offering the only dirt jump park in the Sydney Metropolitan area and a BMX competition venue.
