Moonee Valley basketballers beg for much-needed facility

Thousands of basketballers are battling to get court time as progress on much-needed and promised indoor stadium in Melbourne northwest stalls.

Moonee Valley Council is being slammed for failing to build indoor basketball courts, which it has been claiming to develop for six years.

Thousands of basketballers in Melbourne’s northwest are crying foul as a “priority” project to build much-needed stadium comes to a standstill.

Moonee Valley is one of the only metropolitan municipalities without an indoor basketball court despite being home to one of the nation’s biggest junior clubs.

The Aberfeldie Jets alone has more than 130 teams, 1100 registered players and more than 300 volunteers.

But despite its size, the club’s teams are often forced to travel to neighbouring Hume and Brimbank to play its games.

Coach Russell Mcintosh said the club had approached the council, state and federal government but no one would take leadership in developing the stadium.

“It’s just this merry-go-round and it seems to be the same story where council is pushing us off to the other level of government and the state and federal pushes back to council who say they don’t have enough money,” he said.

“Moonee Valley council has dragged the chain and put funding into projects well down the list of priorities.

“Our state and federal politicians have not felt the desire to right this wrong, hiding behind their safe seats. A marginal seat in the neighbourhood would have had these facilities built many years ago …. and it is the kids that suffer.”

An online petition demanding a stadium has already garnered about 1300 signatures.

The Herald Sun last year reported the much-needed stadium’s “feasibility” for a public-private partnership was discussed by Moonee Valley councillors in the confidential section of a February council meeting.

It was sealed off from the public because it contained “information that would prejudice the council’s position in commercial negotiations if prematurely released”.

Highball stadium

In 2018, the council identified that the municipality needed 12 courts to meet demand but “no earth has been turned on any stadium”, Mr Mcintosh said.

“There’s talk happening but there’s no actual plan,” he said.

The would-be stadium is a “top” priority for Basketball Victoria.

A BV spokesman said the governing body was “working closely with the Moonee Valley City Council and local associations for more courts to support the substantial growth of basketball participation in the area” and welcomed any additional funding to support new indoor courts.

Mayor Pierce Tyson said the council had sought proposals from private partners for the construction of the stadium in 2023.

“Council continues to advocate across other levels of government and the community for financial support for such a large-scale capital project,” he said.

A state government spokesperson said more than $1.9bn had been invested in community sport and recreation infrastructure over the past decade, including more than $24m in Moonee Valley.

“We’re supporting high-quality, accessible community sport and recreation infrastructure so that everyone can play the sport they love close to home,” the spokesperson said.

“The council are encouraged to develop a proposal for consideration for future funding opportunities.”

The federal government has been contacted for comment.