This week our community campaign led to media coverage by the Canberra Times, ABC Radio and 2CC Radio.
'People are fired up': The leaking roof adding to Canberra's stadium woes
The petition and social media interactions are really getting noticed!
I spoke with Basketball ACT.
I also met with the CEO of the Southern Cross Club, Matt Walshe, to directly communicate the community’s concerns about periodic roof leaks at the basketball stadium causing the cancellation of matches over many years. Matt has been in regular daily dialogue, providing detailed updates about fixing the roof and the practical challenges the club has faced over the years in addressing this issue.
Today I can pass on the following positive development from Matt.
Hi John,
My facilities team has advised me that roofers attended the stadium yesterday morning. They lifted the flashing in the area where the leak was observed above court 2 and found water beneath it. The flashing was resealed and resecured.
It is now a matter of waiting for the next rain event to see if the repairs have been successful – the roofers are confident, however, we ‘wait and see’.
Regards,
Matt Walshe | Chief Executive OfficerCanberra Southern Cross Club
For broader context, Matt in an email ealier this week said:
Hello John,
Below is the update that I have received from my facilities team this morning.
We’re continuing to experience a persistent nuisance leak in a section of Court 2. The roofer has been in contact with our Stadium Manager to arrange access for a further inspection. During this visit, a few additional areas were identified as potential points of water ingress, which will be addressed once the weather clears.
Pinpointing the exact source of the leak has been challenging, as the water appears to be tracking along the lagging, making it difficult to trace. At times, the issue seems resolved with no signs of leakage during rain, only to recur with the next weather event.
The CSCC has had considerable work completed on the stadium roof over the past 12 months, including, and outside of insurance works - skylight replacement over Courts 1, 2, and 3 and the installation of a roof access system required for safe roof access and to allow repairs to be completed in a timelier manner.
I have attended site this morning to discuss the situation with my team and as they point out, six months ago we had more than 13 leaks across courts 1-3 and we are now down to 1 leak on court 2. We have made considerable progress with the repairs to date and will continue to work towards a ‘leak free’ stadium.
I’ve thanked Matt for his engagement this week and told him that our fingers are crossed that the issue has been resolved.
I believe our community campaign (more than 650 petition signatures in the opening 5 days) has crystallised how frustrated the basketball community has been and how important it is that a sustainable solution is invested in.
Thank you to everyone for the incredible support so far, which has made a real impact. Best, John Kehoe. Friends of Canberra Community Basketball.