Geelong’s major community basketball conundrum: Debate over proposed Waurn Ponds arena

Waurn Ponds is set to receive a new stadium in the wake of the Commonwealth Games’ cancellation. But Geelong’s surging basketball community is questioning whether this will best help the sport’s growing pains.

Geelong has a big basketball problem, with not enough courts to cater for its players.

Geelong is a basketball town with a big basketball problem – there are nowhere near enough courts.

Local parents, players and leagues have told of their frustration – long waits, long drives and sometimes weeks without games because of clogged facilities. Leagues with hundreds of teams are having to turn youngsters away.

The state government’s vow that infrastructure for Geelong promised as part of the now-axed Commonwealth Games will still be delivered is a real opportunity to tackle the issue. But is a big stadium at Waurn Ponds the answer or should the money be spent for more courts desperately needed across the region? The Addy spoke to Geelong’s hoops community and city leaders to find out exactly what’s broken and the best way to fix it.

The popularity of basketball in Geelong has been surging for years. It’s a trend that has only accelerated post-Covid, and infrastructure can no longer keep up.

The issue is driving some families away from what has quickly become one of the area’s most popular sports, while those sticking fat are feeling the pinch.

Amy Bond is the mother of two basketball-mad kids, Harvey, 9, and Archer, 11.

“The sport stimulates their emotions and keeps them grounded,” she said.

“Win or lose they have the sport, they get to do something each week that they love.”

Amy Bond with her basketball-loving boys Archer and Harvey. Picture: Alan Barber

The surge in participation in Ocean Grove has meant Harvey and Archer – like so many other budding young basketballers in the area – have had to take more weeks off from playing their beloved sport.

“When they have weeks off, they miss playing with their teammates, they go to different schools,” Ms Bond said.

“It’s unfair they miss out on so many games.

“It’s a massive impact for the town because there’s so many kids wanting to play, but we just don’t have the facilities.”

The lack of courts produces a swell of other complications – byes, awkward training times, long drives – the list goes on for parents like Ms Bond.

The sport’s three major associations across Geelong (Geelong United Basketball), Bellarine (The Bellarine Basketball Association) and Surf Coast (the Surf Coast Basketball Association) are all experiencing the same growing pains.

Some relief, it seemed, was on the way, as part of an estimated $292m investment coming with the announcement of Geelong’s involvement in the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The city would get a state-of-the-art gymnastics and weightlifting venue on Baanip Boulevard in Waurn Ponds, that after the closing ceremony would be converted to include at least six multi-sport courts, a dance studio and a regional-level gymnastics centre.

Then the Games were dramatically scrapped.

Render for 2026 Commonwealth Games Waurn Ponds arena.

On July 21, only days after the announcement, Premier Daniel Andrews promised the delivery of all legacy infrastructure originally attached to the Games, including the Waurn Ponds centre.

But some are wondering if this is the best way forward, with parts of Geelong’s basketball community suggesting the Games’ cancellation is the perfect opportunity for the state government and council to reassess their options and deliver better solutions.

Committee for Geelong CEO Michael Johnston believes the main priority in the wake of the axing is ensuring what was promised is delivered on time, but says community needs must be central to any plans.

“With the Games’ cancellation, the priority should be ensuring Geelong receives the legacy infrastructure it was promised, this is delivered on time, and that it uses local procurement of services,” Mr Johnston said.

“In terms of indoor court location, this should come down to what is most needed for the community.

“This would involve the sporting bodies, local government and state government working together to address the most critical need and prioritising investment there.

“You would imagine this is what has happened in selecting the Waurn Ponds location initially, and, if so, then this is a good outcome for the community and participant base.”

Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant – who has a child who plays basketball on the peninsula – said that while the Waurn Ponds stadium would provide some relief, the needs outlined in council’s reports would still have to be addressed.

“Those courts for Waurn Ponds are going to ease that pressure that we’re all feeling,” she said.

“We just know that more needs to be done.

“It’s one of those growing pains we have across the whole region, we’ve got so much growth.

“Because the Comm Games have ear marked them for (Waurn Ponds), that’s where we should be delivering them, that’s what we promised the community, but we know we need more.”

But what do the region’s three basketball associations think?

Mark Neeld from Geelong United Basketball said it expected the original plan, the Waurn Ponds centre, to be built, and felt “comfortable” with that outcome.

“We still have a commitment in writing post the announcement about the Commonwealth Games, that the stadium in Waurn Ponds will be fully operational by November 2026,” Mr Neeld said.

“So we are expecting that building to go ahead.

“I have no doubt there’s already competent conversations taking place at that level of government to say ‘OK, what does the region look like in 10 to 20 years to make sure this doesn’t happen again.’ ”

Geelong United Basketball chief Mark Neeld. Picture: Alison Wynd

The Waurn Ponds facility would fall into Geelong United’s jurisdiction, and it would get the most use from it.

But Mr Neeld said Geelong United’s area had a major lack of indoor courts, which was a serious issue with about 8000 players expected to sign up for the summer season.

The region’s other two major associations, however, aren’t as comfortable with the plans.

Bellarine Basketball Association operations manager Nick Stamoupolos said while there was a “great need” for more courts on the Bellarine, the proposed stadium at Waurn Ponds wouldn’t help the association “at all.”

“Our members will have to travel half an hour plus to get there,” Mr Stamoupolos said.

“I’m not saying that there isn’t a need in other areas in the region, but the Bellarine has been screaming for courts for years.”

In May, it was reported that the Bellarine Peninsula Basketball Association desperately needed new facilities with only eight courts for more than 300 teams and – at the Surf Coast Basketball Association – a post-Covid surge had driven an explosion of player numbers, including a near tripling of teams in one junior division.

“We think three courts on the Bellarine would be more useful than eight courts in Waurn Ponds,” Mr Stamoupolos said.

“With the existing venues we have, we can only fit in 270 teams per week, and we have 300 plus, which means teams are having byes, they’re playing less, just so we can fit everyone.

“So the demand is really high, the supply’s really short.”

Render for 2026 Commonwealth Games Waurn Ponds arena.

The standards of the facilities don’t appear to be keeping up either.

Earlier in the year a Big V women’s Division 1 game between Bellarine Storm and Mildura Heat had to be called off at Bellarine Secondary College in Drysdale after hailstones fell onto the court through the roof.

President of the Surf Coast Basketball Association Leon Sayers said that the Games cancellation was “the right opportunity for the region to re-evaluate where the basketball needs were in the region.”

“We’re all struggling for basketball capacity, we need to super-size basketball stadiums in certain locations where the money could be better spent by adding additional courts to existing facilities,” he said.

So high is the demand on the Surf Coast, age groups throughout the association will have to be capped because there simply isn’t enough room, meaning kids who want to play will be turned back, despite competitions running six days of the week.

“We’re adding facilities every season, we’ve literally added a single court at Bellbrae, we’re adding courts at the primary school in Anglesea, even with those additional courts we’ll still struggle to keep up with capacity,” Mr Sayers said.

Surf Coast chargers player Mel Jackson with SBA Board members Adam Forde, David Scott, Leon Sayers and Rebecca Lewis at Wurdi Baierr Stadium. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“The Wurdi Baierr Stadium has a plan for two additional courts but there’s no funding for that.

“That’s why I’m suggesting maybe it’s the opportune time for the state government and the councils and Basketball Victoria to get together and re-evaluate.”

The Opposition spokesman for Tourism, Sport and Events Sam Groth agreed that the cancellation provided an opportunity to reflect and reassess.

“While the government needs to deliver on infrastructure that matches the level that was promised during the Commonwealth Games, that infrastructure needs to meet the needs of the community,” Mr Groth said.

“There are options to consult with the community again, and to make sure that the area is getting what is required for that level of spend.”

The City of Greater Geelong released two reports, one before the pandemic (2014) and one during (2022), both of which outlined a need for more courts across the area.

MP Alison Marchant says a council report into indoor court shortages is “collecting dust”. Picture: Alan Barber

Ms Marchant said it remained unclear whether the needs outlined in the reports would be met, saying the 2014 report had just been “collecting dust.”

“Council has done the strategy for the whole region, we know that there’s court shortages across the whole area,” Ms Marchant said.

“But they’ve never asked the state government for funding, they’ve never asked me for funding.

“Literally since day dot of me becoming a member I’ve been trying to get this over the line.”

City of Greater Geelong acting chief executive Kaarina Phyland said council “continues to seek to partner constructively with the Victorian government on its commitment to invest the Commonwealth Games funding into the Geelong community.”

“We have given feedback throughout this journey on our priorities for community assets and would be open to discussions with the state on options.”

“We are looking forward to being engaged about the details.”

Originally published as Geelong’s major community basketball conundrum: Debate over proposed Waurn Ponds arena