Lionel Watts Reserve in Frenchs Forest is the focus of $250,000 in sportsfield lighting renewal expenditure, highlighting continued investment in a sporting venue used by local clubs and families.
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The expenditure was included in Council’s September 2026 infrastructure report, following an earlier project to replace ageing floodlights with energy-efficient LED lighting on one of the reserve’s playing fields.
Located on Blackbutts Road, Lionel Watts Reserve accommodates football, rugby league, AFL and other sporting activities. Floodlighting is particularly important during winter, when shorter afternoons leave clubs with fewer daylight hours for training and competition.
New floodlights for evening sport
In November 2025, Council announced a $90,000 project to install 12 LED floodlights on Field 1 at Lionel Watts Reserve, replacing older lighting equipment.
NSW Rugby League contributed $40,000 towards the project, with Northern Beaches Council providing the remaining $50,000. Belrose Eagles Junior Rugby League Club was among the sporting groups identified as beneficiaries.
The installation was designed to improve lighting for evening training and matches while reducing electricity use. Council also specified that the new lighting would meet relevant sporting standards and minimise light spill affecting surrounding areas.
By July 2026, Council had confirmed that the Field 1 lighting improvements were complete.
A reserve built for more than football
Lionel Watts Reserve has undergone substantial changes over the past decade to accommodate growing demand for sporting and recreational facilities.
In July 2019, Council opened a $3.4 million redevelopment that included two full-sized synthetic football pitches, a smaller junior pitch and a senior AFL oval. The synthetic surfaces were designed to withstand heavier use and reduce weather-related disruptions to scheduled sport.
The wider reserve also includes an inclusive playground, skate park, cricket nets and other recreational facilities, bringing together organised sport and informal activities in one precinct.
Council previously identified Lionel Watts Reserve as its most intensively used sportsfield, reflecting the demand placed on public sporting facilities across the Northern Beaches.
Keeping local sporting facilities in use
The lighting expenditure forms part of more than $2.2 million in infrastructure works reported across the Northern Beaches during September, including improvements to roads, public wharves and community facilities.
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Council has linked many of its infrastructure projects to additional revenue from the special variation to rates, although its latest announcement does not specify whether the Lionel Watts lighting renewal was funded through that measure.
Published 30-Oct-2026
