Tuesday, 21 June 2022

 Mr HAMER (Box Hill) (19:06): (6429) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Community Sport. The action that I seek is for the minister to visit the Whitehorse Colts netball club in my electorate of Box Hill to hear about the club’s need for training facilities at Springfield Park in Box Hill North. There are no council-owned netball court facilities that the Colts are allowed to use in the Box Hill electorate, with reports of girls recently needing to train on the concrete paving outside the canteen. In late 2021 the club petitioned Whitehorse council to fund the feasibility, design and installation of an outdoor netball court at Springfield Park to support their 85 registered players. The club’s petition attracted 1278 signatures in just a couple of weeks. I spoke about this petition earlier this year, and it was one that I was proud to support.

The council’s report was tabled last month, and I was disappointed with the lack of support for the club’s proposal. Council refused to support progressing this project at this time, despite installing similar facilities at other locations in the municipality. While the final council resolution called for a report into options for a multicourt facility, there is no time frame for when this report may be completed or when supported projects may be funded. I urge Whitehorse council to prioritise how it can provide local netball clubs like the Colts with the facilities that they need to train locally without having to travel several suburbs away.

Netball is a mass participation sport for women and girls. If a local kid wants to play sports like cricket and footy, which are male dominated, they can play and train on footy ovals, pitches and in cricket nets for play and practice. It would be great for the club to meet the minister to talk through its needs and hear how the Andrews Labor government is investing in the grassroots community sport facilities our women and girls need to level the playing field. The Colts would love the opportunity to meet the minister at Springfield Park. On a final note, all three of the Colts netball teams that played in the semifinals over the weekend won and are playing in grand finals this weekend. Good luck, girls.