The shy bird that stopped plans for a sportsground

The Latham's snipe is is a shy and secretive bird found in grassland or wetland habitats. Photo: Gus Daly

A small, secretive wading bird has done what no planning objector could: stop a sportsground development before a single goal post went in.

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Maitland City Council has abandoned plans for a neighbourhood sportsground on 4.5 hectares of council-owned land at Billabong Parade, Chisholm.

The decision comes after the discovery of Latham's snipe, a bird protected under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Latham's snipe is a medium-sized, long-billed wading bird that breeds in Japan and south-east Siberia, then spends its non-breeding season in eastern Australia.

It prefers open freshwater or brackish wetlands with dense vegetation nearby, where it probes the mud for food and hides in the cover.

Researchers say numbers are falling in Japan and thought to be decreasing in Australia, with wetland loss the major threat.

Urban development is one of the pressures, as housing and roads can wipe out the habitat the birds rely upon or make it unusable for them.

The land will instead become public open space, with potential walking trails, natural play spaces and large open areas.

The site had been earmarked for sport for years as Chisholm's population boomed.

The council's project page promised a level playing surface for AFL, cricket or double fields for soccer and rugby, floodlights, an amenities building and about 80 car parks.

The council says the snipe's presence means the site cannot take the kind of facilities clubs now expect.

General manager Jeff Smith said the land could not accommodate the modern infrastructure needed for sporting grounds in 2026, including bright lights and sporting nets.

"While we can't progress a state-of-the-art sports complex in the area, we will continue to consider what can be done there and in the meantime we can give the people of Chisholm another open space to gather and enjoy the local area," Mr Smith said.

The decision shifts the weight of Chisholm's sporting hopes onto a second site, the Chisholm Sports Complex on Suncroft Street, Sophia Waters.

The council says it will include two mixed sports fields across two hectares, toilets, showers, change rooms, cricket nets and a dedicated playground, and is due to be finished next year.

"We know our local sporting teams and clubs are a big part of what makes Maitland a great community, and it is our job to help find, build and maintain good fields and amenities in the right locations," Mr Smith said.

He said the council would keep looking for other locations for sporting facilities in line with its Community Infrastructure Strategy.

The council had earlier described the Billabong Parade and Suncroft Street grounds as complementary projects.

Sportsgrounds across Maitland have been described by the council as being at capacity.

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