Basketball is a growing sport in Australia. ITC used to love watching the kids playing basketball on the basketball court located at Cox’s Lane (it reminded us a bit of New York where there is a basketball court on nearly every corner). Sadly this court was removed when the Botanic Apartments were constructed (which in ITC’s view is one of the nicer examples of medium density living).
There are no public full size basketball courts in the Lane Cove area. By contrast, for example, the Willoughby Council has at least 11 full size courts. A group of Lane Cove Residents are now demanding more basketball courts in Lane Cove. An online petition has been started, and if you would like to see more basketball courts in Lane Cove you can sign the petition here.
Basketball – A Growing Sport
Here are some reasons why Lane Cove residents want more courts.
- A significant and growing number of young basketball players live in the Lane Cove area. Currently, in two Lane Cove youth basketball clubs, there are over 500 members. Many more play through other clubs in the Northern Suburbs Basketball Association competition, as well as through their schools.
- Basketball participation among children across Australia continues to grow, defying a national trend of decreased team sport participation (ABS, 2012).
- The population of the Lane Cove area is projected to expand to over 41,000 (by over 25%) in 2026, with a majority of the population living in apartments or multi-dwelling facilities.
- Basketball facilties are particularly well-suited to an increasingly urban environment.
- Basketball facilities are multi purpose facilities. Netball, tennis, handball, badminton and a wide range of other games can all be played in the same space.
- We can’t keep increasing our density without expanding our spaces to play. We can’t easily grow many more ovals. But with the right planning, we can incorporate new basketball facilities into new developments, expand existing facilities to build full size courts where young and old can play together, building fitness, community ties and social cohesion.
Where Can Basketball Courts Be Located?
Lane Cove used to have a full size court at Blackman Park.There is a half-court at Blackman Oval – which replaced a run down full-size court that was torn down during the renovation of the grounds.
ITC has some ideas where courts could easily be located:
- In the new Rosenthal Avenue car park redevelopment, there is a large expanse of green space. Some of the areas that have been slated for more cafes could be used for sporting facilities (thus making sure that we keep the character of the village by having cafes in Rosenthal Avenue and the Village);
- Some of the grassed area at the Lane Cove Aquatic Centre was “temporarily” removed and cars are parked in that area (those cars could easily use the Little Street Car Park – that has a very low occupancy rate). Make that area a basketball court/multi function court.
- Burns Bay Reserve – has a tennis practice wall. Expand the area to include a full court practice court and tennis court wall on the other side;
- There is also an old hoop at the wrong height with an uneven square of concrete at Kingsford Smith Oval – upgrade to a full court.
Why not think outside the box and enter into a commercial arrangement with some of the local schools to allow people to use their basketball courts for weekend use (ie the courts at Mowbray Public School, the courts at St Ignatius Riverview, the courts at Lane Cove Public School). In fact, the Greater Sydney Commission draft plan specifically provides the following:
By working with State agencies and local government we can identify assets that are available for complementary community use and investment. One example of this is the opportunity for government and nongovernment schools to collaborate with local government to access school facilities and open space. Shared use of resources could extend to: • schools’ open space resources • community facilities such as meeting rooms, gymnasiums or art facilities • private open space resources such as swimming pools and golf courses • services (waste, access, recycled water) for multiple buildings within a street frontage
In New York, neighbourhood basketball courts pop up everywhere.
Above is the Sara D. Roosevelt Park which contains four hoops, it offers a place for people to play some pick-up basketball no matter what their skill level is. Shaded and located in the Lower East Side, these courts are right next to some cafes so a player can grab some Chinese grub if you get tired of shooting hoops. Also, word on the streets is that NYU’s Quidditch team also practices here. Wouldn’t want to miss out on that and why can’t we have a Lane Cove Quidditch team?
How YOU can help this campaign?
You can sign the online petition. Speak to your local councillor or email your local councillor. Contact details here.
Do you have a local issue you would like help with? ITC is here to help just email us at [email protected]
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