A MOTION to rescind a 10-year lease for the Horsham Basketball Stadium failed to recieve support from Horsham Rural City Council.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cr Mark Radford submitted a Notice of Motion at the council’s meeting on October 22 to overturn a motion passed at its September meeting.
The original motion was to offer the Horsham Amateur Basketball Association a seven year contract with a three year extension on the same conditions as its previous contract. The council also clarified the rights and responsibility for maintenance of the venue.
No councillors seconded Cr Radford’s Notice of Motion and it therefore failed. Cr Radford said the rationale behind his proposed motion was multifaceted.
“A 10 year financial commitment was made by the councillors without any Officer Report or Recommendation to give the decision any foundational strength,” he said.
“If good governance is about informed decision making, then a 10 year commitment to do anything requires some science behind it. The Basketball Association and council representatives are yet to reach agreement.
“With respects to the basketball stadium, discussions need to continue, to find a fair and reasonable balance.”
It comes after the council’s decision in September to put plans for a proposed indoor multi-purpose sports stadium on hold to await outcomes from the CBD and river precinct vision project.
Cr Radford said the council would continue to work with groups to improve Horsham’s sporting facilities.
“The council is committed to that and it is in our council plan. It might be a while off, but hopefully in the not so distant future we can move to the next step. The current facilities are okay, but it is 45 years old and Horsham needs a better facility,” he said.
Cr John Robinson said the proposed multi-purpose facility would jeopardise the future of basketball in Horsham.
“It was going to require four or five employed people to run it, and at the moment it’s voluntary, so it would have them out of business,” he said.
“Can we afford to lose one of the most iconic sporting teams in this city? Of course we can’t. The option for them was to never go into the new stadium that was proposed.
“Rather one option for them was to stay where they and keep on doing what they’re doing like they have done voluntary for 50 years. The other would be to fold, which could happen if they start having to pay increased fees.
“They have made their stance exceptionally clear to the council for many years and have invested so much money into that facility.”
While you’re with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you’re up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.