THE Willetton Basketball Association (WBA) is waiting to see if a visit by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Saturday morning will score them the millions needed to cater for growing demand in the community.
Stadium office manager Maria McAdam said the association would also be watching the State Budget, to be handed down this Thursday, for a further $2 million towards its plan to create four new basketball courts.
The expansion aims to put a roof over the adjacent netball courts and turn them into shared basketball/netball courts to help address a current waitlist of 100 prospective players.
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READ NOW“The council has committed $2.2 million but unfortunately the Stronger Regions fund was closed before we could apply,” she said.
“There’s no obvious Federal fund for this.”
Local politicians are abreast of the issue and are looking for a way to secure the funding left for the $10.5 million project to go ahead.
WBA wants $5.5 million from the Federal Government and has committed $800,000 itself.
The association has 3500 registered playing members, hosts badminton and Willetton Senior High School’s basketball program, and runs a program that targets home-schooled children.
It boasts more than 300 junior teams and 100 senior teams that play on weeknights.
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