Port Melbourne Primary School gets $5.4 million indoor netball/basketball court in State Budget
PORT Melbourne Primary School students have scored big in today’s State Budget.
Inner South
Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner South . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A COMPETITION-GRADE indoor netball/basketball court will be built at Port Melbourne Primary School thanks to a $5.4 million cash splash in this year’s State Budget.
The multimillion-dollar upgrade announced today comes after the Leader called on the Government to help the overcrowded school.
Principal Peter Martin said the revamp would be “a boon for the whole Port Melbourne community”, with the complex available for everyone to use.
“This is great news and all of Port Melbourne should be delighted at this great, new facility,” he said.
“We look forward to the day when there’s lots of room for everyone again at Port Melbourne Primary.”
Mr Martin said the new two-storey building would include a competition-standard basketball/netball court, change rooms and an office area, with classrooms on the bottom level.
“The money will also enable us to redevelop the existing school hall as a community
arts precinct … with performance and display spaces,” he said.
“And the existing, very old timber family hub will also be removed to create a large open-space passive-play area.”
Mr Martin said he hoped construction would begin by the end of the year.
Albert Park state Labor MP Martin Foley said the refurbishment would make sure “local kids get the best start in life”.
“Port Melbourne Primary School is our biggest local primary school and delivers quality education so it deserves quality learning spaces,” he said.
Mr Martin said the Leader’s coverage of overcrowding at Port Phillip schools had helped snare the upgrades and get the green light for two new schools at Ferrars St and South Melbourne Park.
Grassroots netballers are celebrating the announcement.
Port Melbourne Netball Club president Trish Oliver saidthe school’s budget boost was a “huge bonus for the whole community”.
“For us as a club — and for the whole community — it means a bit more security and it means kids can keep being active through the winter months,” she said.
“We’ve had this really big winter blast over the last week and everything has been cancelled because we (train and play) outside.
“This means more kids being more active more often and that’s really the bottom line.”
Ms Oliver said membership at the netball club had skyrocketed from 60 players in 2014 to about 150 this season.
Having an indoor court would mean training and matches weren’t at the mercy of daylight hours or weather.
“And change rooms for us means (more) boys’ participation because at the minute the facility we have has only one area and the boys feel a little bit the odd man out,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s netball, basketball or at primary school — it means getting the kids off the screens.”
Apex gang suspect back in court over violent hammer rampage
A man suspected of ties to the notorious Apex gang has been brought down for a violent home intrusion where he smashed windows with a hammer and left victims “scared and jumpy”.
Inner Melbourne pad’s five-car garage revs up buyers
A 140-year-old house in Melbourne’s inner south boasting a five-car garage, basement home theatre and pool is ready for a new owner – and it has car collectors circling.