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Opinion: Team sports going strong in WA

William Reynolds, AttadaleMelville Gazette

An interesting letter by Nathan Marr (Melville Times, September 3) but it cannot go unchallenged.

He states that team sports are being replaced.

This may be so on a national basis but not here in WA.

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Fishing is the most popular “sport” in Australia but should not be classed as a team sport.

It, along with surfing, is generally in the casual pastime group.

According to our Department of Sport and Recreation the most popular and growing sports in WA are netball, lawn bowls and cricket.

Our coastal centres team sports are continuing to grow at a fast rate.

One example of a near city area had 42 junior teams 15 years ago.

Today they have 170 and that puts demands on the local authority to provide playing areas for them.

Something they are attempting to do.

This is unlike the City of Melville.

The town planning requirements are to provide 10 per cent public open space for recreation.

The Curtin University study showed that Melville only provided 5.8 per cent – the lowest by any council in the metro area.

If they go ahead with their Tompkins Park scheme another five playing fields will be lost to team sports.

Those sports have not been offered an alternative venue, so where will they go?

That will make a total of 13 playing fields removed, or to be removed, by the Melville Council in the last few years.

It is hardly allowing the expanding population to have reasonable access to recreation areas.

I am not against a wave park project but it hardly befits a suburban area.

A more appropriate location would be Baldivis, Champion Lakes, or even Adventure World.

All have ample areas, water access and unlimited parking.