hello from regional Victoria

we are a safe national seat and always will be so policies from a state perspective are always non-existent

in saying that we have had some great facilities built over the last 10 years or so

so cant complain... however every other Melbourne centric policy is non beneficial to me and my life... and the state government trying to convince us the big build will help me... no it wont

but i digress...

just keep petitioning your local member with the requirement of facilities and let the process take its long natural course... council is another option...

Code sports have some great articles at the moment about Basketball, (behind a paywall, but pretty good value), in Australia just to meet current Basketball player needs we need over 900 more courts, and that doesn't included WA figures!

With average costs of a 4 court stadium now at about $30 million, that is $6.75 trillon dollars, (if my maths is correct) and that is with no increase in player numbers! OUCH!

I had been contemplating signing up to Code Sports just to read their recent articles on this issue

I have noticed this too- after recently doing some investigations into local junior clubs in my area (Melbourne).

I found out one of them is running half their trainings 15-20 minutes away (longer with peak-hour traffic). This is domestic not rep. I can only assume their aren't enough courts in local suburbs.

Code sports have some great articles at the moment about Basketball, (behind a paywall, but pretty good value), in Australia just to meet current Basketball player needs we need over 900 more courts, and that doesn't included WA figures!

With average costs of a 4 court stadium now at about $30 million, that is $6.75 trillon dollars, (if my maths is correct) and that is with no increase in player numbers! OUCH!

NSW is so far behind all states, there stadiums are antiquated but rugby league get good grounds torn down after 30 years and get rebuilt, you got have the right connections.

I'll add the afl had the show ground rebuilt at Homebush, it’s not western Sydney because the players, coaches, staff didn’t want to travel to Blacktown, the centre of western Sydney.

Player numbers have almost tripled in the country since 2004. It's exploding and apparently we have a shortfall of 150K people who want counts but cant get on one. It's a bit of a quality problem to have but that 150K could have the Aussie Wembenyana in it so we need BA to lobby on this and for state governments to start taking it seriously.

I recently spoke to someone in BNSW who said they have run the numbers and are somewhere around 300 courts short of being able to accommodate current interest levels.
That number is sheer craziness, but the money and space to even make a dent into that is absurd.

Same in WA, many can't get their kids into the local association so have to travel further.

That gym in Wangaratta looks better than most gyms in Sydney.

In the current climate infrastructure investment is wise by govt.

i.e. 10 people 5 work 5 unemployed - no infrastructure projects - 5 workers pay $100 tax = $500 tax gained - have to pay unemployment to 5 and no new stadiums.

10 people - WITH infrastructure projects - now 8 working 2 unemployed - 8 workers pay $100 tax = $800 tax gained - pay unemployment to 2 and a new stadium.

Project employs local people.

initial financial investment is recouped over time and new facility.

Just needs to have the weighting / support from public to have it built.

I thought same Dunkman, both the Casey and Wangaratta stadiums looked alright

But maybe the priorities are out of whack, instead of a 1,500 seat grandstand (Casey) have a 500 seat grandstand with an extra court or two for the kids! (If it's indeed true kids are being turned away- whereas those grandstands are empty 99.99% of the time unless there's an NBL pre-season game or professional netball?)

Unless it's a temporary/retractable stand? Which I know some stadiums have

This is ultimately a problem of a rapidly growing population though. Melbourne estimated to have 8 million people by 2050 and basketball continues growing even relative to the population.