A BASKETBALL court is set to go ahead at South Beach following Wednesday’s Fremantle council meeting.
While talk of a court has been dribbling around the council since 2005, local group Hoop Hopes has been campaigning hard to slam-dunk it once and for all.
The project was looking good for last year but the council deferred concrete laying to look at broader plans for Wilson Park and to ensure it had the best location for the court.
The council is considering three sites for the full-scale basketball court; south of the change rooms (Hoop Hopes’ preference), the northern end of the carpark, or on Wilson Park.
The council recommended the final location should be decided through a community workshop.
The go-ahead will depend on whether funds are allocated in the upcoming budget.
A staff report notes 64 per cent of respondents support a court, but residents’ association chair Mark Woodcock says the survey was stacked: people could only tick their preference for a location, not whether they wanted one at all.
He says 30 per cent of respondents stated in the comments section they didn’t want the court, despite not being asked the question.
by ROSIE HENDERSON
They paved paradise and put up a basketball court…Yup. There once was a unique long expanse of green grassy areas stretched beautifully along by the beach. “Hah” says Brad (and other councillors who want to be loved by the younger generation), ” what can We build next?I know, there’s too much of that green stuff where people can quietly and safely lie under trees, read, or talk or walk…so lets tear a lot of it up, trees and all, and put up a fenced basketball court right by the sea…blocking it out …right next to the cool funky, once-quiet caff by the sea. Concrete? ..No worries! lets paint it! We came, we saw, we concreted”! But Why there? Basketball courts dont need to have a beach next to them! Parking ? Toilet blocks with 4 cubicles enough? No? Knock ’em down ..build an ugly brick you-know-what. (Btw, Who’ll keep them clean.) Family barbies? No worries….we’ll move the damned things. All for badly positioned basketball courts! . And scoring political points. Renovate poor old Freo as much as you like but please, do not start on South Fremantle. Leave the beach area alone!