Knox Basketball Stadium to be decommissioned as council looks to build new ‘mecca’

THE dilapidated Knox Basketball Stadium in Boronia will be shut down and its funding redirected to a $30 million basketball “mecca” in Wantirna South.

Knox Basketball Association’s Joan Tomkins and Toni Rennie show damage at the Knox Basketball Centre last year. Picture: Steve Tanner

THE dilapidated Knox Basketball Stadium in Boronia will be shut down and its funding redirected to a $30 million basketball “mecca” in Wantirna South.

Knox Council said it was not viable to continue the costly upkeep of the crumbling Boronia stadium that had been plagued by issues of flooding and structural damage.

The Park Cres venue, built in 1975, will be decommissioned.

Knox Basketball Stadium without smoke alarms despite fire

But Mayor Darren Pearce said it was unlikely there would be any substantive change to playing basketball there over the next three to five years.

A council report said closing the venue would save an estimated $6.2 million over 10 years in maintenance costs.

Meanwhile the council wants to upgrade Knox Regional Sports Park, home to the State Basketball Centre, with a planned expansion that will cost between $20 million and $30 million.

The grand plan, dependent on State and Federal government funding, would give the venue a show court with 7500 seats and increase the number of courts from eight to 10.

The council said it could potentially host NBL games and be used as a centre of excellence for training junior players.

Discussions about the plans have started between the council, Knox Basketball Incorporated, Basketball Victoria, Basketball Australia and the State Government.

The centre has large cracks in its walls. Picture: Steve Tanner

Cr Nicole Seymour told the October 23 council meeting it would put Knox on the map as a “mecca” for basketball.

“We talk about capital of the east, that’s not going to happen. But we can be on the international radar for basketball,” she said.

Cr Jake Keogh added: “it’s going to be absolutely sad to see it (the Boronia stadium) go but the State Basketball Centre (in Wantirna South) is the way to go”.

Mayor Darren Pearce told Leader that “keeping Boronia going is not an option”.

“It is old, it is run-down, it is structurally flawed. It doesn’t make any financial sense to continue that when we can invest that money into stage two of the Regional Sports Park,” he said.

“Our intent is to send a clear signal to the community that this is our clear direction moving forward.”

The council will spend $150,000 on concept designs and a review of the Knox Regional Sports Park redevelopment and will report back in December.

A recent council report said there were “no current recommendations for the future use of the Boronia site”.