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

We're so close to securing the final part of funding that we need to build the Wilton basketball stadium expansion. We're close to putting the 150 kids who are on the waiting list into teams so they can play sport. We're so close to finishing off the tireless work of the 3,500 players and the 1,100 volunteers who have been trying to build this expansion for at least the last 10 years. The Wilton Basketball Association has an application with the Western Australian state government to secure the final $2 million to double the current four courts that they have. Last year, with the help of many of my colleagues in this place, we secured $5.5 million to fund the expansion.

I call on the state Labor government to come to the party and confirm the grant for the remaining part of the funding. I have personally written to the WA sports minister to encourage him to consider the application closely. The application is currently under consideration by the minister. The application is strengthened by the Commonwealth's funding being secured, with funding also guaranteed from the City of Canning and from the association themselves—from their hard work and application of effort. But it's up to the state Labor government in WA to finalise the funding for this vital project in my electorate. With the state government's funding secured, the project's construction can start soon.