The completion of the new state-of-the-art basketball facility for Victoria will welcome more players and fans, while becoming host to some of the best players from the country.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and tourism, sport and major events minister Steve Dimopoulos visited Victoria’s home of basketball, the State Basketball Centre, in Wantirna South to officially open the new build extension on Tuesday 16 January.
“Victorians love basketball more than any other state, and this investment means more Victorians can take part and dream of emulating their heroes around the world,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
This blockbuster centre will roll out a jam-packed program of basketball games at all levels – from NBL and WNBL training and matches to grassroots local basketball competitions.
With 12 new indoor community courts for local competitions, there are now a total of 18 indoor courts at the centre for players and fans to enjoy.
“I’m stoked the 12 new community courts and the new gymnastics hub will serve the Knox community for years to come and be a boon for our local economy,” Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor said.
The centre also features a dedicated high-performance training and administration facility for teams including NBL team South-East Melbourne Phoenix and the WNBL’s Southside Flyers.
These administration facilities will also be used by local sports organisations and clubs to ensure more grassroots clubs have the best facilities and infrastructure to support basketball’s growth in Victoria for generations to come.
Knox Regional Sports Park precinct has also been boosted by a new town square with food and beverage venues, while road upgrades will make it easier and more accessible for locals and visitors to access the park.
The new world-class State Basketball Centre was delivered with a $105 million investment from the Victorian Government. Knox City Council also provided an additional $27 million in funding for the $132 million project.
“We are proud to see Knox maintain its reputation as the heartland of basketball in the country. Improving our facilities for basketball and gymnastics means local people of all ages, genders and abilities will benefit from the opportunity to participate in sport and the wonderful role modelling that can come from rubbing shoulders with their elite sporting heroes,” Knox City Council Mayor Jude Dwight said.
Development Victoria worked with builder ADCO Constructions to use locally manufactured steel on the build with more than 90 per cent of total construction material coming from right here in Victoria.
More than 500 jobs were created during construction, with more than 100 ongoing jobs supporting the centre’s operations.
Works are underway to upgrade the existing original six basketball courts and surrounding admin and function spaces to further service the community and sport, due for completion by mid-2024.
Victoria is already Australia’s home of basketball, with participation numbers across the state equal to every other state combined. Since 2010, basketball participation in Victoria has grown by more than four per cent annually.
The State Basketball Centre will tomorrow host the clash between the South-East Melbourne Phoenix and the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL, with the Phoenix preparing for the match in the new high performance areas.
