Cook Park is a popular sport and recreation precinct which attracts an estimated 175,000 people annually for football and cricket competitions and training, school events, and casual recreation. This number is expected to grow as more people call St Marys home into the future.

The Cook Park project was identified through Council’s Sport and Recreation Strategy, which is a 15-year road map for the future provision of sport, play, recreation and open space across the City.

This upgrade will ensure sports groups have the high-quality infrastructure they need to accommodate increased participation and the ability to utilise facilities to their maximum capacity. It will also provide current and future residents with more opportunities to enjoy casual recreation.

New football facilities are a key feature of the upgrade including a new synthetic playing surface and amenities building, resurfacing the three additional fields with natural turf, grandstand refurbishment, floodlighting and seating.

In addition, there will be upgrades to sporting infrastructure at Bill Ball Oval, car park improvements, more playspace equipment, pathways, lighting, new public toilets with a Changing Places facility, tree planting, and landscaping included in the design. 

As our City’s population grows and with more people joining local sports clubs, we are seeing an increased demand on our sports fields. Football has also significantly increased in popularity in recent years.

The new synthetic turf field at Cook Park will be able to be used year-round and will double the weekly capacity of the existing field. This means that twice as many players can use the field for up to three times as long each week.

The new synthetic turf field will be complemented by the resurfacing of three additional fields with natural turf, to ensure the precinct offers a range of high-quality playing surfaces for training, competitions and events.

The broader community are welcome to use the facility for general recreation and unorganised activities when there are no booked activities taking place.

Cook Park is located on Wilson Street, St Marys.

The eastern side of this facility features three full-size football fields, one modified football field, an amenities building, grandstand, additional toilet block, and car parking.

The western side features a cricket and football oval (Bill Ball Oval), an amenities building, outdoor fitness equipment, playspace, and car parking.

The Cook Park project is funded through the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program ($19.12 million) and the Australian Government's Priority Community Infrastructure Program ($8.5 million), in partnership with Council.