Melton Council investigating cause of court closure at Cobblebank Stadium

A council is investigating if cleaners are to blame for the closure of a state-of-the-art basketball stadium in Melton. Here’s what we know.

Basketball clubs have had to relocate upcoming matches after a potential cleaning bungle forced the temporary closure of a stadium in Melbourne’s west.

Multiple courts at Melton’s Cobblebank Stadium have been closed after testing last week recorded moisture above the accepted level causing the floorboards to bow across three courts.

Investigations have now commenced into what is causing the issue at the $31m facility.

Sources claim that products used by a cleaning contractor may be to blame and the surface will need to be stripped back before it can be used again.

A number of courts at Cobblebank Stadium have been closed and matches have been relocated due to excessive moisture in the flooring. Picture: Melton City Council

However, Melton City Council, who operate the facility, say that investigations were yet to determine the cause of the damage.

Melton Council acting manager (recreation and leisure), Aaron Biscan said the safety of all players and the community was the highest priority and thanked clubs for their understanding during the repair period.

“The three affected courts are temporarily closed while contractors use dehumidifiers to resolve the matter and the cause is investigated,” Mr Biscan said.

“The dehumidifying process is working with tests this week showing that the floors are drying,” he said.

“We look forward to being able to reopen the courts once they are safe for sports to return.”

Mr Biscan said most on-court activities have been relocated to other courts including the remaining three at Cobblebank, as well as Melton Indoor Recreation Centre and Caroline Springs Leisure Centre.

In a statement, Melton Basketball confirmed this Saturday’s Big V games would be relocated to Caroline Springs Leisure Centre.

“Due to the unavailability of Court 1 at Cobblebank Stadium, the Big V games will be play at Caroline Springs Leisure Centre, The Parade, Caroline Springs,” the statement read.

The facility, located on the cnr of Ferris and Bridge Roads, opened in November 2021.