Hoops

Save Knox Basketball Stadium in Boronia Vic

Losing a stadium is like losing a school - they never replace it!

I know it will cost money to do some works to the place, but I have scene worse venues stay open, who is running this facility?? Council?? YMCA?? Belgravia Leisure??

It wouldn't be ideal not to replace Boronia with a stadium on the same site or closer. If most games were at SBC then Kilsyth or Dandenong become viable options, especially for those teams currently training at Boronia.

Upwey High School is being redeveloped and will be gaining two additional courts, but we do need more courts in general.

Apart from periodical maintenance, such as upkeep of the Boronia Basketball court surfaces and general painting - Which happens at every basketball venue, there really hasn't been any other major maintenance spend. So I would think the $1 million in maintenance is a figure plucked from the sky as well as the 6 million figure.

Maintenance has been neglected (stopped) at the Boronia stadium since the opening of State Basketball Centre. Operating out of Boronia was profitable for Knox Basketball Association before the introduction of State Basketball Centre. And Knox Association has been running at a loss ever since. As grand as the State Basketball Centre is, it comes at a huge cost.

If the council gets it's way and closes Boronia stadium. Then I would hope that it wouldn't be before the completion of adding at least 6 additional courts to the State Basketball Centre. Which should not be for at least another 5 years.

The reality is if the Boronia Stadium is closed earlier, then it means 6 additional courts need to be sourced and rented from schools in the local area. Which means up 50% loss of incoming revenue in court rental for Knox Basketball. And that's 7 day of the week including evenings. The association can't afford these additional losses

But the harsh reality will be the potential loss of 5 remote basketball clubs; Belgrave Red Devils, Emerald Lakers, Basin Wildcats, Mountain Tigers and Rangers. The 5 clubs are located in and near the Yarra Ranges. Most of these clubs already struggle with low player numbers. With the loss of Boronia Stadium which more local to them than State Basketball Stadium - Could mean these club/player seek out an alternate basketball association, another sport or quit.

I hope Knox Council and Knox Basketball Association have prepared for the potential issues by closing down Boronia Stadium.

After all it's about keeping kids involved in sports like basketball.

I play at Knox - Boronia weekly and the stadium does need to go.
It's in a great area with plenty of activity and sad to see it go but it's built on shifting flood plain land and has run it's course.

They need to find an alternative site - with that being all the vacant land around the State Centre.

if the community demand is there for both keeping boronia running and extending state basketball centre - find some political backing and bring this to the fore. It's about our communities having adequate facilities.

I agree, losing a stadium is not what we want to happen anywhere --- we need PLENTY more courts, not less.

However, Boronia is a money pit. Just to keep Boronia operational it is costing close to $1,000,000 a year in maintenance costs alone and I have heard its around $6,000,000 fix the issues that cause the annual maintenance costs.

It makes no sense to throw good money after bad on Boronia, I am not sure what it would cost to knock down and rebuild Boronia but this would the ideal option. If that's not feasible building more courts at the State Centre is the next best option which is already in the works.

If there wasn't a problem with Boronia they wouldn't get rid of it. There's major problems there, the council is committed to replacing the courts --- short term pain, long term gain.

Signed.

Noticed the tigers have announced their coaches, any of the other clubs going to do the same?