Financial commitment from Government last hurdle between a Tasmanian team rejoining the NBL

Having secured the rights to deal exclusively with the Glenorchy City Council, NBL owner Larry Kestelman now turns his attention to talks with the Tasmanian Government for funding to upgrade Derwent Entertainment Centre

20/09/2018: National Basketball League owner and property developer Larry Kestelman in Melbourne. Stuart McEvoy/ The Australian.

A TASMANIAN “global standard” team will be back on the NBL court by 2021-22 if the State Government will assist a refurbishment of the Derwent Entertainment Centre.

Following the Glenorchy City Council’s decision on Monday night to deal directly with league boss Larry Kestelman on the sale of the DEC and Wilkinsons Point, Mr Kestelman will now turn his attention to negotiations with premier Will Hodgman.

In an exclusive interview, Mr Kestelman has told the Mercury he requires funding to bring the dated venue up to world class standard, as well as an ongoing yearly commitment for the 10th licence.

The successful property entrepreneur will fund a proposed $150 to $200 million redevelopment on Wilkinsons Point himself.

If he can strike a deal with the government, it will end a 25-year hiatus for the state at the elite basketball level following the demise of the Devils in 1996.

“We’re aggressive human beings and we’re certainly going to try to make it happen as quickly as we can, but it’ll be either that season [2020-21] or the one after,” Mr Kestelman said.

“This development definitely cannot happen and the team cannot come to a place like Tasmania without Government support.

“We’ve had very, very positive initial conversations with the Government. We will need their help both with the DEC and the team itself.

Premier Will Hodgman Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“There’s no denying Tasmania is a beautiful place but … it’s not a Melbourne or a Sydney with a population, so we need to be very mindful because we want the team to be sustainable and to be of global standard.

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“The thing you have to remember is that basketball is a global sport, the team we envisage putting into Tasmania needs to be of a global standard, not just good enough to play in Australia.

“The NBL now is regarded as the second best league in the world and for that you need a team that is of a standard that can go and compete in the NBA as other Australian teams have done.

“There are two factors, we need to finalise our commercial dealings with the Glenorchy council, and then we need to finalise the package of support and understanding how badly does the Government actually want a national basketball team in the competition.”

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A figure of between $10 and $20 million is believed to be required to upgrade the DEC, which would include increasing seating capacity to 5000 and building a multipurpose facility with five or six courts.

Mr Kestelman, who will return to Hobart next week to continue talks with the Government, is confident if funding is secured it would take 12 months to complete the process.

“The Tasmanian Government is very supportive of our state securing a licence to participate in the NBL,” Mr Hodgman said.

“While the divestment of the Derwent Entertainment Centre is a matter for the Glenorchy City Council, we will carefully consider any proposal that is put forward to the Government that is in the best interests of basketball in Tasmania and the wider Tasmanian community.

“We will be meeting with both Mr Kestelman and the Glenorchy City Council next week to further understand the proposal.”