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Concerns over stadium fees

23/Feb/2010

By Natasha Thorson, Western Suburbs Weekly

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PARENTS of junior basketballers might be forced to pay spectator and parking fees at the State Government’s $40 million basketball centre in Mt Claremont.

Basketball WA (BWA) has refused to deny the claims and local clubs are concerned that such a move would result in families being priced out of the game.

BWA chief executive Rick Smith would not comment about parking or spectator fees, saying only that final arrangements for the new stadium were still under discussion.

City Beach Basketball Club president Kerry Clarke and Claremont Cottesloe Basketball Club president Peter Barrow have a long association with basketball at Perry Lakes.

They said that while they were grateful for a new stadium, they were concerned about the cost to families, lack of storage space, loss of club rooms and lack of certainty.

“We are happy to have something new but it has to be useable and within a reasonable price,” Ms Clarke said.

“At the end of the day, it was supposed to be a replacement for Perry Lakes and we’ve got more than that replacement. We’ve got the Rolls Royce but we could have done with the family station wagon.”

Mr Barrow said spectator fees had been scrapped about 15 years ago to encourage parents to stay and watch games.

“Parents wouldn’t stay because of the cost,” he said. “If they have a door charge again, we’re going to be back in that situation.”

The clubs are also concerned about their bottom line, with talk that entry fees and court hire costs will rise by about 20 per cent this season.

They say the new centre had half the amount of club rooms and there may be a clause included that would allow functions, such as school balls, to take precedence over scheduled games.

Mr Smith said he had met junior basketball club representatives and was aware of their concerns.

“I am working as hard as I can to minimise the costs to basketball participants operating from the new stadium,” he said.

Stadium manager VenuesWest was contacted but did provide comment at the time of going to print.

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