This was published 5 months ago
Cottesloe resident’s basketball hoop booted from verge by noise complaints
A Cottesloe family has been banned from having a basketball hoop on their front verge after neighbours near the quiet cul-de-sac complained about the noise to council.
Children on Andrews Place enjoyed the makeshift basketball court for years before the Town of Cottesloe told owner Matthew Watson to remove his hoop in November.
Children on the quiet cul-de-sac used to use the hoop regularly before the council ordered it be removed. Credit: Town of Cottesloe
Since then, the resident has applied to the local government to concrete some of his front lawn into a basketball pad, which would have protruded one metre onto the council’s verge space.
On Tuesday night, that proposal was also rejected, despite a petition in favour of the basketball hoop being signed by 12 residents.
Instead, councillors voted to consider placing a basketball court in the small park area at the end of the street after they received three letters opposing the basketball pad.
During deliberations, one councillor noted the cul-de-sac had minimal car traffic, and the applicant’s son was an enthusiastic basketball player, so much so, he was willing to convert his frontyard into a half-court.
It’s not the first time a local council has had to battle with residents over basketball courts.
In 2023, the City of Stirling fought state government plans to enforce a rule that would mean basketball courts had to be well away from homes, up to 100 metres in some cases.
At the time, the council said the new rules could have resulted in the closure of most community basketball courts across Perth.
It led to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation backflipping on the issue and scrapping the proposed rules.
Over the past few years, courts have been closed in multiple suburbs including Victoria Park, Joondalup, Dalyellup near Bunbury and Marmion.
In 2020, basketball hoops which were contributing to “illegal” noise levels were permanently removed at Carlisle’s Koolbardi Park in the Town of Victoria Park.
The courts, located in the $3 million Zone 2X park lasted less than a month, with the Town of Victoria Park removing the hoops after a small number of nearby residents complained about the noise.
An acoustic assessment was carried out – which councils must do when a complaint is received – and found the noise produced by bouncing balls breached legislation requirements.
Documents from the town’s council meeting state they had attempted, without success, to reduce the noise effect on residents by restricting court opening hours and having a security firm undertake the opening and closing of gates.
Read more
Fremantle activists celebrate after council walks back removal of century-old fig from tree register
Swimming pools, recreation centres: WA’s top-spending private schools revealed
Trial set for Perth grandmother in Japanese jail over ‘Nigerian love scam’ drug haul
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.