The courts remain empty for local basketball players. Photo: Melinda Jane.
Basketball in Penrith is on hold and its future uncertain as a dispute emerges between the local association and the region’s biggest basketball venue.
Penrith District Basketball Association (PDBA) was meant to tip off its Summer season last weekend, but a breakdown in negotiations with Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre (PVRSC) – specifically on hire fees and office space rent – has resulted in players staying off the court.
Local mum Sonya Lee’s two sons Zeek and Vance love playing basketball, but she says the rise in court costs – which will ultimately be passed down to families suffering from a cost-of-living crisis – will be detrimental to the sport in the area.
“The recent and proposed court hire fee increases from PVRSC, along with new upfront payment requirements, threaten the viability of basketball in Penrith,” she said.
“If local courts are lost or access becomes unaffordable, many children will be forced to travel outside the area, or worse, stop playing together. This is a real community issue that affects hundreds of young people and families in Penrith.”
Sonya Lee’s basketball loving son, Vance.
Earlier this month, PDBA received a short-term offer from PVRSC to cover their upcoming summer competitions – which were scheduled to start last week – of which they were requested to pay $120 + GST per hour for court hire (up $37 including GST from July prices), and $1,000 + GST per week for their use of the office space.
It is understood up until now, PVRSC has never had a formal agreement in place with PDBA to occupy the office space.
In an email to members about the situation, PDBA said upon reviewing the offer, they remain “focused negotiating in good faith”, and would be guided by their commitment to the needs of members.
“Given the significant increase in court hire fees, we have made the decision, in consultation with our members, to pause the start of our competitions pending further negotiations,” the PDBA Board said in a written statement to the Weekender this week.
“We look forward to continuing to negotiate in order to provide an opportunity for basketball within the Penrith LGA.”
The PVRSC, a not-for-profit organisation that operates on Council-owned land and has been located in Cambridge Park for more than 40 years, defended its decision to jack up prices – stating it recently underwent significant high-cost repairs to be able to continue to provide a modern venue for community events.
“This would not have been possible without access to a loan from Penrith City Council,” the PVRSC Board said in a written statement to the Weekender.
Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre. Photo: Melinda Jane.
“One of the conditions of the loan is that the operating model of the stadium needed to be financially sustainable and capable of both repaying the loan and building reserves capable of providing ongoing capital maintenance costs.
“Council commissioned a study of the best operating model for the facility that provided some areas of opportunity for the PVRSC to consider.”
Options explored by the PVRSC to achieve this outcome included a merger proposal with PDBA and a commercial agreement that addressed the previously free use of office space and utilities and different methods for determining equitable contribution to a sustainable financial model.
“All negotiations were conducted in good faith, however neither option has been considered acceptable by the PDBA,” the PVRSC Board said.
“The PDBA has enjoyed generous exceptions over more than 20 years, including rent free office space and utilities and delayed requirements for invoice payments given the historic ties between the two organisations.
“Given the conditions of the loan and the failure to determine an alternate operating model, the PVRSC then had to establish a base rate for all its users ($120 per hour ex GST) that reflected a market-aligned rate that would start addressing the immediate and long-term financial challenges of keeping the stadium open for all community events.”
The Weekender understands that the upcoming Summer competition for basketball was the first long-term booking for which that rate would be applicable and has been offered on a ‘pay for what you book’ model.
The PVRSC Board said the decision to hike up costs was “regrettable but necessary” for the sustainability of the popular community venue into the future.
“The increasing cost of providing a community venue, and the impact of the recent significant improvements to the venue that required the Council loan are regrettable but necessary,” the Board said.
“The PVRSC wants to support all of our users in the growth of their endeavours but must now more than ever ensure that decisions including hire rates reflect the future costs and needs of the facility.”
For now, as negotiations continue, summer basketball in Penrith remains at a standstill.
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.