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IT has been a never ending saga for Horsham Table Tennis Association President Jeff Pekin.
Pekin has been calling for improved association facilities, which is currently based at the Maydale Pavilion at the Horsham Showground, for over eight years.
In August, Horsham Rural City Council awarded a $22,000 tender for a phase one feasibility study into a new multi-use indoor stadium.
This month, stakeholder groups were asked to give feedback on council’s phase one feasibility study draft plan, which was released in October and proposes a new four-court stadium for the city.
Pekin said the study raised many questions for him but the proposal was a positive step forward for the sporting community.
“The four courts in general is fantastic idea,” he said.
“If you go through the design you can play the basketball or the volleyball or the badminton at the same time.
“It could work. It works in plenty of other places."
Pekin said it was a long time coming for all involved.
“It should have happened over 21 years ago,” he said.
“We know we have the need. Now is surely the time for people to work together for their grandchildren and for the greater community.”
Pekin said he would welcome a timeline and a stakeholder meeting with council, to help move plans along.
“If we keep on saying we will have it by June or July next year then that is another year gone,” he said.
“From a table tennis point of view we have been in the pavilion since 1995,”he said.
“How many feasibility studies does it take to tell us what we already know.
“If basketball want to stay where they are, we can still build this.
“I don’t have all the answers but I want us to get to a better standard, or we could our sports when we need to make it grow.”
PREVIOUSLY
SPORTING groups have criticised aspects of Horsham Rural City Council’s proposed multi-use indoor sports stadium amid calls for a more hands-on approach to its planning.
Stakeholder groups were asked to give feedback on council’s phase one feasibility study draft plan, which was released in October and proposes a new four-court stadium for the city.
The draft recommends council continue the development of a new four-court multi-use indoor to service the Horsham community for the next 50 years.
It also recommends a new six-court shared use squash and racquetball centre, with movable walls to provide space to accommodate table tennis, gymnastics and other sports.
Horsham Basketball Association president Nicole Lakin said she had concerns about the placement and affordability of a new stadium.
“At this stage we are all still sceptical as to where it will be and the cost of it is a big concern for us,” she said.
“We don’t know what the overheads will be for members and whether we will need to increase our fees to support the association.
“We need to keep our fees to the minimum so it is affordable for parents.
“I have heard council saying they have ‘heard something’ or ‘someone has told us this’.
“But where are the councillors meeting us at the stadium and asking us?”
Lakin said she was also concerned about sharing the centre when the association had control of Horsham Basketball Stadium.
“I do have concerns about sharing. People don’t realise how much it is used by our association,” she said.
“The only time it is sitting there is when everyone is at school.
“All of these things council needs to know, but we don’t see a single councillor getting down there and having a look.”
Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly executive officer David Berry said sporting associations and clubs had been patient enough.
“It is something that should have been done 25 years ago,” he said.
“We have done the strategies and feasibility studies. We now think it is time that a decision is made.”
Mr Berry said a new stadium would grow sport in the Wimmera.
“My spin on it is that the facilities that we’ve got are suitable for local level competition,” he said.
“Anything over and above that, the facilities are not up to scratch for what you’d expect from 21st century infrastructure.
“I believe the recommendation is based on us doing all this extra sporting stuff, over and above a local level.
“What I would like to see from the sporting administrators is to take the blinkers off – be satisfied with what you have now but look at it from a big picture perspective.
“We know the consumer today wants quality facilities.
“They are not going to want to go to a dilapidated old stadium.
“If we can continue to turn out good solid infrastructure then the possibility of us increasing participation across the board will be more than if we didn’t.
“Don’t ask us what we think as 50-year-old administrators.
“Ask the eight or nine years old what they want and what they want for their kids.
“Let’s aim for the stars. Anything can happen.”
Horsham Rural City Council’s recreation and sustainability manager Rhonda McNeil said she was unable to comment on feedback until the report was publicly released.
“This draft report is circulating with all the key user groups to clarify and make sure it represents their views,” she said.
“I would prefer not to comment on the feedback until that is finished in a few weeks time.
“All user groups are keen and happy with the direction and the possibility of increasing participation.”
Ms McNeil said issues such as cost and location would not be addressed until phase two of the study.