At least 400 Bellarine Peninsula residents are missing out on playing basketball per week according to Bellarine Peninsula Basketball Association (BPBA).
BPBA president Gary Thompson made the claim after the new Armstrong Creek Sports Centre became one step closer to becoming a reality with the search now on for a contractor to deliver the new multi-sport facility.
Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence this week announced the opening of the expression of interest process for the head contractor to build the Armstrong Creek facility with four indoor multi-sport courts and a brand-new plaza.
But Mr Thompson said in a letter to members that the Bellarine was being left behind.
“Available court space is now the major challenge for our association with every available facility on the Bellarine being used for our competitions,” he said.
“Put simply, there are not enough basketball courts on the Bellarine Peninsula. Because of the shortage of court space the BPBA has had to introduce several difficult measures to accommodate the large numbers of players and teams such as, introducing double byes (non-playing times) and the introduction of weekend time slots within playing and training fixtures.
“Furthermore, it impacts on how our competitions run, resulting in sometimes challenging fixture arrangements to ensure we can effectively and safely maximise both the participation and running of all our various levels of competition. These pressures create logistical difficulties for all players, parents, families, and staff and most importantly, deny local basketballers the opportunity to play the sport we love where we live.”
Mr Thompson said the BPBA caters for 3100 members, 360 teams, 26 representative teams, school-holiday camps, referees and court supervisors. He said there are about 7500 basketball games held each year.
In June Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant said she had asked the City of Greater Geelong to apply for the state government’s Regional Community Sport Infrastructure Fund to support new facilities on the Bellarine.
“The Geelong Indoor Recreation Facilities Strategy, which has been undertaken by the City of Greater Geelong, has shown there is increasing demand for more basketball facilities,” she said.
“I have met with the Bellarine Basketball Association, Basketball Victoria and heard from local basketball clubs to further understand the needs of the growing basketball community on the Bellarine.”
The federal government allocated $6 million to the Armstrong Creek project in its May Budget.
“Finding a contractor for this project will bring us one step closer to opening this centre that will have the facilities for our community to play the numerous sports they are passionate about,” Member for Corangamite Libby Coker said.
