Mosman Council to install ‘quiet’ $35K basketball court near Balmoral Oval skate park
MOSMAN councillors are happy with noise tests by the council’s staff which found the “quietest” location for a basketball court at Balmoral.
Mosman
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A CAREFUL audibility assessment by Mosman Council staff has determined the best location for a new, noise-friendly basketball court: next to the Balmoral Oval skate park.
The council will install the $35,000 court later this year.
Councillors approved the new basketball court location during the council’s meeting on Tuesday last week.
Deputy mayor Roy Bendall proposed the court during the council’s February meeting.
The new court, big enough for a full-sized key, will be concrete but is unlikely to drive residents mad because of its noise-attenuated location.
The council’s officers bounced a basketball on two concrete areas at Balmoral Oval at 6.35am and 9am one morning: the amenities building and skate park.
The tests revealed that at the nearest house from each location there was “significant external noise” which limited the audibility of the basketball bouncing.
The non-basketball noise included: a boxercise class at the reserve near the sand; traffic in Coronation Ave; various birds including cockatoos, ravens, corellas and parrots; street maintenance garbage bin removal trucks and delivery vehicles.
The report stated: “It was clear that background noise was inhibiting a clear audibility assessment and it was difficult to assess any tonal nature of the sound produced by the ball”.
The council staff finally recommended the skate park as the preferred location because it was furthest from adjoining properties.
The council’s other basketball courts are at Allan Border Oval, Memory Park and Clifton Gardens.
Cr Roy Bendall said it was great that local children would be able to use another basketball facility.
His idea came about after junior Beauty Point basketballers told Cr Bendall they would love to be able to train at Balmoral.
“They can now ride their bikes down there and practise their shooting,” Cr Bendall said.
“It’s a great addition to the reserve.
“It’s actually a really good thing and the community is very supportive of this.
“It’s a free activity on the beach, which is what we should be encouraging, rather than kids playing on their iPads.
“I’m very pleased with the noise abatement tests, so there won’t be any deleterious effects for the surrounding residents.
“It’s also good where we are putting it, next to the skate park; there are no lights down there, so it’s not going to create social problems or noise at night.
“Because when it’s dark, the kids go home.”
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