It’s a basket case: Emu Point residents divided over basketball court in ‘leafy green, tranquil park’

A basketball court under construction in Emu Point has divided residents, with some welcoming the addition and others calling for the City of Albany to abandon its plans because of concerns about noise and the people it might attract. The City last week began construction of the 12sqm half-court at Emu Point’s Bovell Park, prompted by a request from a 13-year-old resident last year. The idea gained early support from ratepayer group Friends of Emu Point but other residents are strongly opposed to it. One local — who asked not to be named — said “many Emu Point residents” did not want their “leafy green, tranquil park” to be “destroyed” by a basketball court. The resident said the suburb’s “older demographic” used the quiet park to walk their dogs and there were not enough children who would use the basketball court to justify the cost. “The people that reside around the park are absolutely not keen on the idea, which is understandable predominantly because of noise and a little bit of concern as to who might end up in the park and at what hours,” the resident said. The resident said it made more sense to put the court closer to ablution blocks on Firth Street or near the Emu Point Sporting Club — or in another suburb entirely. “Surely the City has far more urgent projects they could fund, or perhaps they could look at providing services for emerging suburbs where they don’t have a long list of the facilities already available,” they said. “If however, they are hell-bent on putting a court in Emu Point, don’t remove one of the all too few leafy green areas left in suburbia. “Don’t take away part of the park, or to quote Joni Mitchell, don’t pave paradise to put up a parking lot — or in our case, basketball court.” City reserves manager Jacqui Freeman said the location of the court was decided by attendees at an on-site meeting, including City officers, residents and eight children. “The basketball court aims to take up a small portion of the park, provide recreational opportunities for community and still provide plenty of room for dogs to be exercised off-leash,” she said. Ms Freeman said the City had received a petition signed by 35 people in May that did not support the construction of the court on the east side of Bovell Square. “It requested that the basketball court be located next to the cricket nets parallel to Mermaid Avenue, be reduced to one semi-circle, contain only one basketball ring, and include the installation of noise-reducing flooring,” she said. “In response to the petition, the City, in agreement with the Friends of Emu Point, has reduced the basketball court to a half-court with one basketball ring, and included the installation of sound-attenuating backboards and flooring.” Friends of Emu Point president Helen Beeck said she believed most Emu Point residents supported the basketball court, and children were already excited about it. “It’s just been a few people that have decided at the last minute, it seems, to put up a bit of a fight against it,” she said. “It is disappointing because the parks are for everyone to use. “I just thought it had been resolved fairly and there are other issues out at Emu Point we are more concerned about. “I am hopeful that they are going to realise when it goes in that it is not a huge issue.”