Sydney basketball stadium's '$40 million' upgrade axed by Lord Mayor Clover Moore

CITY of Sydney Council is "more concerned with winning design awards than serving its constituents", says Sydney Basketball chief Andrew Lazaris.

Clover Moore

CITY of Sydney Council is "more concerned with winning design awards than serving its constituents", according to Andrew Lazaris.

At 28 years and counting, the City of Sydney Basketball Association president is one of the longest-serving sports administrators in the country and has been trying since 1990 to have the existing two-court Alexandria Stadium upgraded.

He believed all his dreams had come true in August, 2011, when City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore announced a multi-million dollar development for a brand new indoor and outdoor community sports facilities at Perry Park, Alexandria, including a six-court basketball facility.

But Moore recently reneged on the agreement, claiming "detailed design work and investigations revealed the overall cost would be well in excess of $40 million".

"When discussions for an indoor basketball complex first took place, the basketball association told the City that they would try and contribute funding. However, to the best of our knowledge no funding has been raised," she said.

That revelation brought a strong response from Moore's former Legislative Assembly colleague and now Basketball Australia chief executive officer Kristina Keneally.

"Grandstanding promises followed by clandestine retreat is the kind of cynical political behaviour Clover claims to have always opposed," she said on Tuesday.

But Lazaris was even more stunned by Moore's funding comments.

"Where did that even come from?" he said of the alleged $40 million price tag and the claim his association was supposed to raise funding.

"We're a nonprofit organisation. If we had the funds, we wouldn't need council.

"We're not asking for a $40 million facility. Council keeps changing its ideas.

"Now it's an underground carpark.

"The reason it has blown out to $40 million is because they can't agree on a design. They're too busy trying to win design awards.

"The fact is they are not sports-minded and do not understand the value in such a facility and keeping kids engaged and off the streets.

"We've been wishing, hoping and praying since 1990 there's nothing in the whole of the city of Sydney area for kids."

When Moore first announced plans, she said "demand exceeded availability", with existing community groups competing for limited facilities in local school halls or forced to travel outside the area.

"The Green Square development is forecast to have 50,000 more residents by 2031, which will further increase demand," Moore had said.

Lazaris, whose association played a vital role in the birth of the NBL in 1979 - competing out of Alexandria's two-court facility as the City of Sydney Astronauts and now part of the Sydney Kings' history - had more than 2000 members.

"Back in 1990, we used to deal with two councils the South Sydney Council and Sydney Council," he said.

"The City of Sydney Council agreed we needed a facility to accommodate the kids in the area.

"We have a 99-year lease on that property."

City of Sydney Basketball Association has started a petition to reinstate promised funding for the multipurpose indoor centre at Perry Park.

"The current facilities at Alexandria Stadium provided by the City of Sydney Basketball Association are at capacity," according to CSBA's petition site.

"The stadium is unable to host large metro and interstate basketball tournaments and finals series, let alone accommodate demand for a weatherproof, indoor venue for other sports."

City of Sydney Comets have run basketball competitions in the inner city for more than 70 years and at Perry Park since 1967.