FEARS for children’s safety has prompted Morwell Basketball Association to appeal to Latrobe City Council for upgrades to its Latrobe Leisure Morwell courts.
A delegation of the Morwell facility’s users group will meet with council tomorrow to outline its concerns about the venue, which apart from the addition of a viewing platform and revamped spectators area on court one, have scarcely been altered since its creation.
Chief among the group’s gripes are poor lighting, exposed wiring, unsafe scoring tables, temporary patches in flooring, lack of car parking and obstructed spectator areas on courts two and three.
MBA vice president Marty Leechino said the courts had not received due attention throughout its 35 years with the association.
“It’s more the maintaining (of the facility) and safety for the kids,” Leechino said.
“It wouldn’t happen anywhere else, but because we don’t complain it’s no drama.
Leechino estimated courts two and three had gone untouched in 20 years, while court one’s period of neglect was about double.
“(Court one) has been here for 40 years and we’ve got a scorebench that has been here probably that long,” she said.
“I’m shocked that no-one has hit one of those tables when they’re playing.”
The MBA stalwart believed, given the modern state of other Latrobe Leisure facilities across the Valley, that Morwell was due for an overhaul.
“It’s disappointing for us; it’s almost like we’ve been forgotten,” Leechino said.
“We’re not jealous of the other venues, good on them, but it’s our turn.
“You can see with Churchill they’ve now got squad sides and they haven’t had squad sides for years (in the juniors)… why wouldn’t you want to play where the best facilities are? And they’re definitely not here.”
Leechino said she would like council to take a more active approach in assessing the needs of the facility rather than leaving it to the users.
“It’s embarrassing when you run a tournament… when you see people coming from other associations with much better facilities,” she said.
“I think our kids deserve as much as any other town around here.”
