Nillumbik council has thwarted a campaign by teenage siblings to have a basketball half-court built on public property at Bundoora, despite Whittlesea council’s offer to cover all costs.
Last August, Jensen and Janet Thomas gathered 80 signatures on a petition requesting Whittlesea council to build a half-court at the Chancellor estate at University Hill, Bundoora.
The siblings requested the court be built at either the existing park next to Fitzjohns Drive, commonly known as Central Park, or the park between Queens Gardens and Clovermont Way.
The Thomas’s argued that while there were good park facilities in the estate catering to children, there was none for teenagers.
“The park here isn’t aimed for kids over 12,” Jensen said. “I thought this might be good for older kids who could practise basketball after school.”
They added that the court would create an added incentive for young people to be active.
Following an assessment of three possible sites in Whittlesea, and one just south of the municipal boundary in Nillumbik, Whittlesea councillors decided last Tuesday to attempt to reach an agreement with Nillumbik to use its land, deemed the most suitable for the half- court.
Whittlesea council would underwrite the full $75,000 cost of building the court.
But last Friday, Nillumbik mayor Bronnie Hattam said the council already had two basketball half-courts and plans were under way for a third one at Civic Drive, Greensborough.
The Civic Drive court would serve local residents and surrounding communities, including the Chancellor estate.
“At this time, there are no further plans, nor funds available, to deliver or maintain additional outdoor basketball court facilities across the shire,” Cr Hattam said.
Surveys by Whittlesea council found three potential sites in its own municipality were not suitable.
One report said residents near one of these sites had advised they would circulate their own petition against a basketball centre.
Cr Hattam said the matter was still being investigated following “preliminary” discussions with Whittlesea council.
Whittlesea councillors have requested that their officers now explore other opportunities in the Chancellor estate.
