Help Cairns’ community basketball thrive with 1 NBL standard basketball courts at the Esplanade as well as refurbish the current court to make them 2 half courts. They need to be built to a standard and have SAFETY in mind 

Proposal:
-1 full-size basketball courts installed in the Northern Esplanade Activity Precinct
-Built to NBL standards (court size, basketball rim height, backboard size etc) so people from all levels can enjoy the game of basketball
-A fence (approximately 2 metres high) far enough from the boundary lines that would also allow aluminium grandstands inside the fenced area. This would also allow for normal play and also prevent the basketball from going into the ocean or volleyball courts.
-refurbish current multipurpose courts to 2 courts with out a cage built around them (dangerous). Hoops to be regulation, height and backboard to be regulation to allow a game of basketball to be played.
-1st proposed site is the grassed area next to current volleyball/multi purpose court.
-2nd proposed option is to have the current multi purpose court taken down and a full court (NBL Standard) put in its place, the second full court could be on the grassed area next to the multi purpose court (in the petitions photo)              Update **** after receiving feedback we have considered the Volleyball community and have decided to not suggest removing any Volleyball courts. We Apologise for upsetting anyone with the suggestion. This is why we have changed the photo of where the courts are on the petition.                                                     
-to work along side members of the basketball community to build a good well planned basketball area that could host competitive basketball tournaments.

Basketball is a significant sport for the Cairns community. It is the one sport that has a nationally televised game, and the only sport for which Cairns has a professional team (go Taipans!). There is also a push for Cairns to establish a Women’s NBL team. Support for recreational basketball is growing here every day, with many local leagues fostering a vibrant and diverse community of players and supporters.

Youth Crime has been highlighted as an issue in Cairns. Cairns as a community wants solutions to prevent and address these issues. Research by the Australian Institute of Criminology has shown that sporting and recreational infrastructure that contributes to social cohesion can reduce criminal activity. Adding 1 dedicated basketball court and refurbishing the current court, on the Esplanade would provide accessible recreational activities in a supportive social context.
The beautiful Cairns Esplanade attracts a lot of individuals, families, tourists and children seeking outdoor recreational activities. While there are several volleyball courts, fitness equipment and much open green space, there is only one half-size multi-use court that can be used for basketball, futsal and badminton.

There is very high demand for the current court with basketball games played simultaneously, and it quickly becomes unsafe for all. A number of injuries have occurred on this court from playing basketball. The barriers make playing basketball on it very unsafe. Excessive balls become trip hazards and sometimes as many as 30 people are on a very small fenced in court (not full court), making injuries more and more likely to occur especially over school holidays.

The proposed courts would better meet the demand for court space, allowing the current small fenced in court to be used for younger children and families while more competitive players could use the NBL regulation courts.

Basketball brings youth, adults and families together and helps strengthen our community. please sign and share this Petition on your social media accounts. We are aiming at getting a minimum of 5000 signatures.