The Nature Conservation Council of NSW has put synthetic turf in public open space on its 2027 state election agenda. For communities weighing up the future of local sporting fields, that is a significant development.
The Nature Conservation Council (NCC) has released its policy platform for the 2027 NSW election. Under its priority to eliminate waste and plastic pollution, the platform calls for stronger controls and restrictions on synthetic turf in public open space.
The concern extends beyond the playing surface. Synthetic turf can shed plastic fibres and infill during use, maintenance and replacement. These materials can move into surrounding soil and stormwater systems, and from there into waterways.
There is now NSW evidence that artificial turf is reaching waterways. In its 2026 assessment of coastal estuaries, the NSW Environment Protection Authority identified artificial turf as 5% of the microplastic items it classified. The EPA also identified turf among the materials whose sources can be traced, making it a priority for targeted action. www.epa.nsw.gov.au
What the NCC is calling for
The NCC platform calls for stronger requirements when synthetic turf is proposed or used in public open space, including:
- Formal environmental assessments
- Effective stormwater controls for synthetic fields
- Full lifecycle analysis and costing
- Comprehensive contamination testing
- Obligations for recovery, reuse or recycling at the end of a field’s life
- No public funding for synthetic turf where natural turf can meet community recreation needs
These measures would require decision makers to consider a field’s environmental impacts and costs throughout its life, including what happens when the surface is replaced.
Why this matters for local communities
For years, communities have raised concerns about synthetic turf one field at a time. The NCC’s election platform brings those concerns into a statewide policy discussion. It gives residents, sporting clubs and councils a clear set of questions to ask before public money is committed to a new surface.
The Natural Turf Alliance is among the organisations endorsing the NCC’s platform. We support decisions based on a fair assessment of sporting demand, the capacity of well-designed natural turf, environmental risks and whole-of-life costs.
As the 2027 NSW election approaches, candidates should be asked where they stand on these proposed safeguards—and how they would prevent plastic pollution from sporting fields.
