Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the Willetton Basketball Association and its stadium. Shortly after I became the Liberal candidate for Tangney I got to learn about this impressive sporting organisation, which keeps hundreds of local kids fit and having fun every week. The chairman, Phil Nixon, and his army of volunteers have such a positive story to tell. With TVs, computers and technology taking up more of our time, team sport is even more important today.

Willetton Basketball Association has more than 300 teams, with 3,500 players supported by over 1,000 volunteers. They have the Willetton Tigers SBL men's and women's teams, and I congratulate the women's SBL team for their championship win earlier this year. With two seconds remaining on the clock, the Tigers beat the Joondalup Wolves 60 to 58. They have junior and adult basketball competitions, skills classes for children aged five to 13, a strong focus on developing the skills of referees and officials, school holiday camps and a close link with the Willetton Senior High School basketball scholarship program and other local high school sports programs

Thousands of people come from Lynwood, Ferndale, Riverton, Rossmoyne and Willetton, and many suburbs even beyond Tangney, but the current four-court stadium, run largely by volunteers, is now stretched beyond capacity. Over 150 kids are on the waiting list to play but space restrictions make it impossible, and if there are 150 kids on the list then there are definitely far more who have not even bothered to put their names down. An additional four sites are used to meet demand for Saturday competitions, but now all the available space at these sites has been used up too.

My electorate is home to many young families, attracted to the region in part by Tangney's great local schools. We hear a lot about drugs and crime in our community, but I stand here today talking about hundreds of kids who want to play team sport but cannot because of a lack of infrastructure. It appears, sadly, that Willetton Basketball Association was not on the federal government's radar before the election campaign, and I have moved quickly to change that. A tour of Willetton Basketball Stadium was added to the agenda of as many ministers as possible during the federal election campaign. The Treasurer, the foreign minister, the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services and the WA Treasurer all got to see the expansion plans.

Willetton Basketball Association want to double their stadium with four more indoor courts, male and female change rooms, meeting rooms, a hall space, offices and space for supporting health services, such as a physio. The current estimated cost is $11 million; however, with the reduction in construction prices in WA, it is hoped the project may cost less. I hope the expansion will be a shared funding arrangement between federal and state governments and the local council, with a significant amount of fundraising from the Willetton Basketball Association. During his visit the Treasurer was seen shooting hoops with SBL players and was really impressed by the association's self-funding commitment. He said, 'The most impressive part of the proposal is that they have been able to raise $650,000 themselves and will commit to more.'

I am committed to people and organisations that help themselves to make our community better. Willetton Basketball is working hard to rally volunteers and fundraising to achieve its goals. Until the council elections last year, the City of Canning had been under administration and did not support the expansion project. This support was a vital step in being able to make a Stronger Regions grant application. The plan to apply for Stronger Regions funding was also impacted during the campaign by the replacement of the Stronger Regions Fund with the Building Better Regions Fund and the decision that only non-metropolitan projects would be funded from this new grant pool. But this will not deter me. I have made it clear to my community that I will work hard to find funding for this important Tangney project. My determination to see construction started is now fully backed by the City of Canning, which is running efficiently and proactively under the leadership of the new mayor and a new CEO.

Council also has voted to approve $40,000 for the essential planning needed to prepare applications for federal and state funding. I acknowledge Councillor Ben Kunze and Deputy Mayor Lindsay Holland, who have worked tirelessly in support of the Willetton Basketball Stadium expansion project. With local government support now in place, federal funding consideration is important during this term of government. I look forward to working with ministers to find the federal contribution to this project to get more kids playing weekly team sport in my region.