BIG SQUEEZE

Chargers boost room for fans at final

THE momentum behind Tasmanian basketball is growing with the Hobart Chargers pulling back the curtains to sell more seats to Friday night’s SEABL preliminary final.

It means 2300 tickets have already been sold for the Derwent Entertainment Centre match, with another 750 on sale now, and the possibility of more to come if there is demand.

It comes as Justin Hickey, backer of Tasmania’s NBL bid consortium the Southern Huskies, met with Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman and Treasurer Peter Gutwein on Thursday to push the case and as community submissions to the Glenorchy City Council for or against the sale of the DEC — crucial to the bid’s submission — closed yesterday.

Huskies spokesman, Chargers president David Bartlett, said Friday night would be the biggest night in Tasmanian basketball in two decades, especially with the Launceston Tornadoes preliminary final sold out at the Elphin Sports Stadium on the same night, adding a further 1100 basketball fans.

“If we get 3000 at the DEC on Friday night and Launceston has already sold out for the Tornadoes, if the NBL doesn’t pay attention to 4000 people going to SEABL basketball games in Tasmania … I think it is a pretty strong notification,” Bartlett said.

But central to any NBL submission is the acquisition of the DEC. Bartlett said the Southern Huskies would meet NBL executives next week, but would not make a formal licence bid presentation before the acquisition of the DEC.

Glenorchy Mayor Kristie Johnston said having unanimously made the decision to express an interest in offloading the DEC, the public submissions for or against the sale would now be correlated.

Then a decision would be made on whether to sell the venue and, if so, who to.

“I’ve got quite a few figures about what the DEC is worth,” Alderman Johnston said.

“We are not going to disclose that at this point in time.”

Johnston would not reveal if there had been any other bids or submissions to buy the DEC, but did say there had been “a number of people who contacted us about a range of matters around the DEC”.

The DEC cost the City Council $200,000 in operating costs last year while depreciating $800,000, and is expected to need large capital investment in the near future to update the venue, Glenorchy Deputy Mayor Matt Stevenson said.

“The DEC has cost ratepayers a considerable amount of money subsidising not only Glenorchy events but statewide events,” Alderman Stevenson said. “It will cost considerable money both in operational expense and capital improvements in the DEC in years to come that will directly come out of ratepayers if we don’t find an alternative operating model.”

Bartlett said offloading the centre had been high on the council’s agenda.

“When I was Premier, the Glenorchy City Council every year of my premiership and I know they were doing right back to [former Premier] Jim Bacon’s day, were desperately trying to give the DEC back to the State Government,” Bartlett said.

A Government spokesman said it welcomes the NBL bid and would work with them, but at this stage had not been asked for support.

“Although the sale of the DEC is a matter for Glenorchy Council, the government hopes the council will undertake consultation with key stakeholders, including with the NBL consortium, to ensure the best outcome for all parties is achieved.”