Premier’s pledge to fund four indoor courts at Wonthella

Hard courts behind Wonthella’s Activewest Stadium will be enclosed to become four new indoor basketball and netball courts after WA Premier Mark McGowan announced a $1.5 million election promise on Monday.

This major upgrade to the Geraldton Amateur Basketball Association’s facility would depend on Labor returning to government after March 13.

Mr McGowan made the announcement after the Association applied unsuccessfully for Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Funds late last year.

However Labor candidate for Geraldton Lara Dalton sponsored a petition asking for the facility to be funded anyway.

Mr McGowan said basketball and netball were the highest participation sports in Australia.

“You have 2,000 players and 200 teams here in Geraldton that play basketball and the numbers are growing,” he said.

“What I am also pleased about is that your club is such an efficient organisation that’s fundraised and is also putting in a lot of money towards this project.”

Geraldton Amateur Basketball Association president Peter Brown thanked the Premier, Ms Dalton and Agricultural Region member Laurie Graham.

“This project started 15 odd years ago and we all know it’s been a long process trying to get more courts,” he said.

“Through working with Lara and Laurie we were able to work towards a plan to actually increase the size of what we were planning before.”

Mr Brown said plans now included more room for storage, and possibly a new canteen renovation.

He also thanked his board and the City of Greater Geraldton for developing plans for the expanded facility.