Whitehorse City council has tipped in $35 million towards the estimated cost of $100 million to $120 million, and the state government will be asked to put in the same amount.
The association has tried for a decade to get the new stadium built. The plans were knocked back in 2015, but over the past couple of years, it’s made a concerted effort to win over all levels of government.
The old stands on court one at Nunawading Stadium, opened in 1969, as kids play Saturday morning basketball.Credit: Penny Stephens
“I say to them that I don’t want $100 million from the three levels of government – what we want is 10 new basketball courts,” Nunawading chairman Robert Green said.
“It’s not about the money, it’s about the 10 courts and all the things they give our kids, and I don’t know that you can put a dollar value on something like that.”
While the stadium has been based at the same Burwood Highway site since 1969, the most recent federal seat redistribution left it proximate to five of Victoria’s marginal seats.
Burwood Highway forms part of the boundary between Deakin and Chisholm, and the stadium is only a short drive from Menzies. Drive a little further down Burwood Highway, and you enter Aston, while Kooyong is a slightly longer drive towards the city – meaning players from all five seats use the stadium.
At the back of the wooden bleachers on court one is a sign for the member for Chisholm, Labor’s Carina Garland, while a larger banner adorns a wall of court two for the member for Deakin, Michael Sukkar from the Liberal Party. There are signs for state members as well.
Sukkar has a special bond with the stadium. Aside from having children who play at the venue, his life was saved on those courts in 2008 after he had a heart attack and was revived by paramedics and bystanders with medical training.
Green said association officials were aware the political geography could help their case.
“Mark [Hallet, Nunawading chief executive] and myself both have accounting backgrounds so we talk numbers all the time,” he said.
Parents and children cram into courts three and four at Nunawading Stadium for Saturday basketball.Credit: Penny Stephens
“Are we aware of the political margins? Yes. Are we aware of who plays in particular electorates? Yes, we are. I think our timing could be fortuitous.
“We’ve proven we have public support because we had over 2000 emails to council from our players and members, and, with an election coming, we’ve had some very comfortable comments from both sides – we just wait for a finalisation of their positions.”
Nunawading officials had simple rules to maintain good relations with all parties. The Spectres also receive government relations advice from Basketball Victoria’s Jake Keogh and SMC Strategies’ Ben Tatterson.
“We tell both sides of parliament we are talking to the other side, and we tell everyone that we remain apolitical and won’t be taking sides,” Green said.
Liberal candidate for Kooyong Amelia Hamer with young footballers at Glenferrie Oval in Hawthorn.Credit: Joe Armao
Garland, Sukkar, Liberal Chisholm candidate Dr Katie Allen, and Labor’s Deakin candidate Matt Gregg were all asked if they would support funding the stadium upgrade.
“There’s no doubt that the demand for junior basketball requires more courts and better facilities. As a local long-time user of the stadium I know this first-hand,” Sukkar said.
“I’m pleased that Whitehorse City council has recently approved the plans for this $100 million redevelopment and I have been working closely, as has Dr Allen, with the association on this proposal.”
Stephen Newnham, a former Labor campaign director during one state (2006), one federal (2007) and three state byelections, said funding local sport clubs in marginal seats was “often about risk mitigation” and “neutralising” any potential attacks from your opponent.
“Are we aware of the political margins? Yes. Are we aware of who plays in particular electorates? Yes, we are.”
Nunawading basketball chairman Robert Green
While candidates love the photo opportunities to kick a ball with cute kids, the real political bang for buck comes from “making sure the other side can’t kick the crap out of you for not funding it”, Newnham said.
Electorates where margins are under 4 per cent are where every single vote counts – and sporting club announcements will be coming from all directions.
“If it’s a major club and they don’t fund it and the other side does, you might lose a third or a quarter of a per cent,” he said. “And at the margins, that becomes important.”
“If the swing is on, then every quarter of a per cent could be the difference between holding a seat and not,” he said.
Hamer joins in on a marking competition at Glenferrie Oval.Credit: Joe Armao
Last year, former member for Maribyrnong Bill Shorten resigned from parliament after 17 years. But one of his final acts was to secure junior Aussie rules club Maribyrnong Park Lions a $500,000 pledge from Labor for upgrades to their pavilion, including a commercial kitchen and barbecue shelter.
Shorten had held the position of the Lions’ joint No.1 ticket holder. The club shared the news with its supporters via an email and story on the club website.
The story said the grant would be a “lasting legacy” for Shorten – and featured an image of both Shorten and Labor candidate Jo Briskey – but reiterated the club was politically neutral and had asked Liberal candidate Tim Beddoe to match the pledge.
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Beddoe was asked by The Age if the Coalition planned to match the funding, but did not respond before publication. Lions officials said they were busy preparing for the new season when contacted for this story.
Hawthorn Citizens junior football club was one of the clubs happy to play along with Kooyong Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer’s visit to Glenferrie Oval this week after she brought her party’s chequebook.
Hamer announced her party, if elected, would contribute $3 million to help fast-track change rooms and toilets at the ground, which is receiving a revitalisation from Boroondara Council.
She then took part in some marking contests with junior players as the cameras snapped away.
Kooyong is a marginal seat that Hamer is trying to take from Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan.
Amelia Hamer is trying to win Kooyong from independent MP Dr Monique Ryan (above).Credit: Joe Armao
“We’re pretty apolitical,” club president David Stanford said.
“We don’t mind who wants to give us money because, at the end of the day, what we do is to create an opportunity for kids to get involved in sport.
“If it is a Liberal or Labor government, a council or even our sitting member Monique Ryan, who is a teal [independent] – whoever wants to donate money and enable us to do that better or faster or expand our programs to more kids – we will willingly take it.”
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A spokesperson for Ryan said she was against “pork barrelling” and that she hadn’t made specific funding commitments to sports clubs.
“Kooyong voted against pork-barrelling in 2022 and will do the same in 2025,” the spokesperson said.
“Funding allocations should reflect independent, merits-based review. Monique has committed to working with local governments to that end.”
Stanford said the club could only play under-8s, 9s and Auskick at the ground due to the lack of facilities. It uses two other grounds for older kids.
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The club has more than 560 registered players across all age groups, and its Hawthorn Auskick program has 250 players.
“It’s one of the biggest Auskick centres in the country, and it hasn’t had change rooms or toilets for the last 15 years,” Stanford said.
“There is a portable room that we use for canteen operations, and the council bump in a couple of portable toilets at the start of the season. It’s just impractical.”
Stanford said club supporters were understanding about being in a political photo opp.
“People around Hawthorn are pretty balanced, either Liberal or teal – it’s evident,” Stanford said.
“We are apolitical. If politicians come down and talk to people, they are welcome. We are not giving them the microphone or letting them grandstand, but you are welcome to be part of our community.”
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