Basketball Mount Gambier has flagged a plan to retain Mount Gambier’s Icehouse stadium as a multi-purpose sports facility, after identifying the new $57m Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre may be unable to host the local basketball competition in its entirety.
Basketball Mount Gambier held an information session for about 50 members and life members on Sunday to discuss the future of the Icehouse, as well as the fee implications for moving to Wulanda.
BMG Chair Daniel Moon said the group wanted to ascertain members’ views about proposed cost increases as well as whether the new Margaret Street complex could adequately cater for the sport.
“We outlined what that would mean for members now and into the future,” he said.
“We presented some costings, fees per game and a couple of other scenarios, if we had modified formats and what our infrastructure costs might be going forward.
“The big concerns that members have is affordability first and foremost and secondly control of infrastructure so that we can continue and potentially expand competitions.
“When we went through all of that we had a view that we probably need both assets, so we’d utilise Wulanda to the extent that we can while maintaining the existing stadium as well initially until we see what that looks and feels like.”
Mr Moon said the members felt BMG needed to support Wulanda, however there was a need to retain and maintain the Icehouse, particularly in the short term.
“The view of the members was that we move some competitions to Wulanda, particularly at the start of our winter season,” he said.
“We have an obligation to move some competitions there but need to decide what that will look like and what the pricing is.
“In a scenario where we fully moved all operations to Wulanda, including having our admin and storage overall there, we would be looking at an increase of about $90,000 per year.
“That represented a $3.60 to $3.90 fee per game increase.
“In a hybrid model where we selected different competitions to move there it could be limited to $1.50 to $2 per game.
“I think that people were of the view the lower increase would be acceptable.”
However, BMG has ruled out relocating the competition in its entirety in the short term.
“We initially will not be there in our entirety, it will be selected programs run at Wulanda,” he said.
“The Icehouse is owned by City Council and run on a peppercorn lease and it has been rolled over a year at a time.
“If we were to remain there in the longer term we would have to undertake some pretty significant upgrades and we would need state and federal government support to do that.
“BMG is in quite a strong financial position which would be required to get access to state and federal funding.
“However we would need to look at bringing in other sports to make it a multi-purpose stadium, if we can get a long term lease it just cannot be basketball played there, we would need to accommodate other sports.”
Mr Moon said BMG had met with City Council this week to discuss the situation, with ongoing talks set to continue between the pair and centre operator Belgravia Leisure.
The SE Voice contacted Mount Gambier City Council for comment on the matter and received a written statement.
“Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre is a multipurpose facility with opportunities to host various community and sporting groups,” the statement said.
“City of Mount Gambier and Basketball Mount Gambier are having productive discussions regarding venue arrangements, both the Icehouse and Wulanda, considering future needs to support the sport’s growth in Mount Gambier.”
