Manningham’s highball sporting facilities are under increasing pressure to meet the growing demand from local sports clubs, with the demand to access the City’s 33 highball courts a point where it is outstripping supply.
Manningham Mayor Cr Jim Grivokostopoulos said Council has identified a shortfall of 15 multi-use courts necessary to meet the increasing demand for sports including basketball, netball, gymnastics, badminton and table tennis.
“Council is very keen to redress this deficiency and the Manningham Highball Infrastructure Plan has identified Mullum Mullum Reserve as the most suitable location for a large multi-use highball facility.”
“Not only will the proposed multi-purpose facility at Mullum Mullum Reserve provide additional courts for our sporting clubs, it will also free up valuable space at Manningham’s other highball facilities.”
The Warrandyte Basketball Association (WBA) with 106 teams comprising in excess of 1,000 members have to compete and train at nine stadiums including three outside of Manningham, is one example of where demand is significantly exceeding supply..
WBA President Bruce De Lacy said every year players are turned away because of a lack of court space.
“We simply cannot satisfy player demand from within the very community it serves.”
“Several teams have already been forced to play in other competitions and courts outside of Manningham. We have a Melbourne Metropolitan Basketball League (MMBL) team that has never been able to play games (or train) at Warrandyte.
“The region needs a multi-court stadium that allows for greater participation, opportunity for growth, and diversity in competition availability. It would allow us to start and build competitions for people with a disability,” he said.
Doncaster Hockey Club, based at Mullum Mullum Reserve, is also supportive of the proposed development.
Club President Rob Henry said his club has an ongoing need for indoor hockey space to expand its development program, which is currently limited to its juniors, to the men and women’s competitions.
“The proposed multi-purpose facility at Mullum Mullum Reserve will provide improved sporting facilities for the community and allow the reserve to become a high standard sporting ground.”
Design work on the proposed facility at Mullum Mullum, along with the development of a Draft Management Plan, is well underway and is being guided by information gathered from consultation with local clubs at the reserve, the community and existing highball clubs last year.
The draft plan is expected to be completed by the middle of 2014 and, the community will be given the opportunity to provide feedback and make comments, when it is released for public exhibition.
