After a six-month ceasefire between Wollongong City Council and users of a popular indoor sports facility at the Beaton Park Leisure Centre, battle lines have been drawn again.

This time, fitness groups – who fear they'll be left homeless if Council proceeds with its vision to make Ted Tobin Hall exclusive to basketball and the Illawarra Hawks – are saying hands off. They've launched a petition "strongly opposing any takeover of Ted Tobin Hall".

The petition, which launched this week and already has more than 100 signatures, says in part: "The Ted Tobin Hall was built for the community to use in its entirety. It was built using community funds and belongs to the community. It was not ever built for the use of private groups ... the Council certainly needs to consider the growth of basketball across the area, however, it should NEVER be at the expense of other people in the community and their needs."

The issue was re-ignited in the past week following a letter from the office of the manager of Council's Sport and Recreation, Mark Berriman, informing community sporting groups using Ted Tobin Hall that consultants had been engaged to consider the future of the entire Beaton Park site, including the hall they use daily.

Long-running arm-wrestle

Those sports (badminton, table tennis and pickleball) see this as Council's latest shot across the bow in what's become a long-running arm-wrestle over the popular and scarce indoor sporting facility.

Meantime, those participating in fitness classes are angry they've not been kept in the loop by Council and staged an impromptu protest between classes on Wednesday, carrying signs saying: 'Ted Tobin Hall: Built by the people, for the people', 'Community space for the community' and 'We use this hall every day'.

"We've heard lots of rumblings, but no one knows what's happening," said Vanessa Obron, from Wollongong, who's been participating in fitness classes in Ted Tobin Hall for many years. "Just let us know what's happening."

Vanessa said people, frustrated by the lack of information, were flocking to sign the petition launched this week.

Sue Ashbolt said: "We feel like we are being treated like second-class citizens."

Connie Nielson from Unanderra shared those concerns. "People are shocked that they can lose this space. I think the Hawks could support themselves. We just don't want them to push us out."

Plans first revealed for a new Hawks training facility

As first revealed by The Illawarra Flame, in August last year, Council held talks with the badminton, table tennis and pickleball groups that use Ted Tobin Hall multiple times each week, informing them of their plans to offer Ted Tobin Hall to the Illawarra Hawks as a new training facility and effectively locking out the existing bookings by community groups.

"That meant all other sports using the space wouldn't be able to play there," said Eric Bradley, the secretary of the Illawarra Badminton Association. "When we came out of those meetings (with Council) we each individually gained the impression it was pretty much a done deal. The Hawks would take over Ted Tobin Hall and they'd find us another venue elsewhere."

What happened next stunned the sporting groups, when Council management "block booked" Ted Tobin Hall from 10am to 6pm, seven days a week, effectively locking out anyone from using the space.

Council's about-face after backlash

Then came a very public community backlash and a barrage of complaints that forced a hasty about-face from Council.

In a statement at the time, Council said basketball was one of the fastest growing sports in Australia. "The local association and the Hawks are both having to operate across multiple venues within the local government creating a disconnect for families, administrators and participants. Council is investigating options to further support the development of community pathways to elite sport in Wollongong," the Council statement read.

It was left to the newly elected Lord Mayor, Cr Tania Brown, to try to calm the situation by providing a reassurance that no one would be displaced until alternative, high-standard accommodation could be found. She suggested after-hours use of local schools could be the answer. "It is about getting the balance right," Cr Brown said.

Waiting for Council's next move

While the community sporting groups welcomed the news, they felt the reprieve would only be temporary and have waited patiently to see what Council's next move would be. 

Six months later and Council's head of Sport and Recreation, Mark Berriman, has written to the sporting community groups to inform them that consultants are now working with Council to progress the implementation of the Beaton Park Master Plan.

"We're undertaking a feasibility study on options for Council to consider for the future of the Beaton Park site," the letter said. "The vision remains that the future Beaton Park precinct will be a hub for community sporting pursuits through to elite athletes and that multiple sporting codes will be supported to operate out of the redeveloped Beaton Park."

Mark Berriman's letter encouraged users of Ted Tobin Hall to speak to the consultants "on your current and future needs" and said there would be "an opportunity to complete an online survey".

Fitness class users feel like 'forgotten people'

One group of regular users of Ted Tobin Hall, and there are hundreds of them who turn up each week, are those who book into fitness classes. They say they've not been properly consulted during the process. One fitness attendee told The Illawarra Flame they felt like "the forgotten people" in this long-running saga.

Zefi Tritsiniotis, from Mangerton, has been a participant in fitness classes at Beaton Park since 1981. He says he only found out by chance that Council had written to the sporting groups using Ted Tobin Hall this month saying private consultants were now assisting Council with its decision-making.

"I suspect they are trying to avoid a community backlash and put their plans through under the radar," Zefi said. "My past experience with consultants is that if you want to implement something that is unpopular or controversial then employ a consultant as they are always right because you have paid them a lot of money."

The impact on the community

Zefi said: "We brought this group together today so Council is confronted by the reality of what they're about to destroy and the impact it will have on the community. They talk about being inclusive but what's being proposed is an exclusive inclusive, favouring just one sporting group."

Everyone involved in Wednesday's rally agreed with the views of Robyn Hinschen, from Wollongong, who said the classes she'd been attending for more than a decade were "about much more than fitness".

"It's social; we meet as friends and it's all good for our mental health," Robyn said.

"We meet every day. We have been friends for 15 years, all thanks to Ted Tobin Hall,'  said Yvonne Butler from Keiraville.

Others fear the loss of Ted Tobin Hall to the wider community will impact groups with the greatest needs.

"Disability groups visit for classes every Thursday, and so do seniors," said Gino Rikhye, from Wollongong. "There's also a lung group who are here a couple of days a week."

Council outlines its vision and future process

Responding to questions from The Illawarra Flame, a Council spokesperson said the consultation about to commence was linked the implementation of the Beaton Park Master Plan and the future use of Ted Tobin Hall is "a key part" of considerations.

"It remains our vision that Beaton Park is one of the city's key sporting hubs and continues to support a wide range of sporting codes and caters for everyone – from enthusiastic amateurs to elite athletes," the spokesperson said.

"The Beaton Park site is well-used by our community and the Master Plan provides the opportunity to ensure this space, and all the facilities and services within it, meet the needs of our whole community now and into the future.

"Right now, we're working with consultants on a feasibility study to provide options for Council to consider for the future of this site. The consultants are investigating potential options for the Beaton Park site and their quantity surveys, cost analysis and architectural services will help to determine a preferred outcome for the site, and a funding strategy.

"It's important we get this process right and ensure the future need requirements of indoor sports are considered and tested through option analysis for anything that may have changed since the adopted plans of 2018. As part of this consultation process all major indoor sport organisations who use indoor courts at venues across Wollongong, including Beaton Park and the Illawarra Sports Stadium, have been included in the consultation.

"As Ted Tobin Hall is part of the Beaton Park precinct, and is captured in the site's Master Plan, it is a key part of considerations in the feasibility study. While the study phase is underway, we're not making any significant changes to the use and hire of the Hall which would see sporting groups moved to an alternative location."