The Hon. Hannah Beazley, Minster for Local Government and Youth, recently visited Ngaanyatjarra Council Group to present Lotterywest funding to upgrade basketball courts in the Warburton community.
The basketball court, adjacent to the Warburton Primary School, was initially made from a watered ant bed in the late 1960s before being upgraded to concrete in 1977.
The court has served the community for nearly 50 years but shows its age with cracking and exposed reinforcement bars. Lighting was added to the courts in 2024 through the BHP Social Investment Fund. Aside from this, maintenance has been limited to remarking lines and occasional backboard replacement.
Along with the Warburton Pool, the basketball courts are a hub for the community and one of the primary recreation options in the community.
In presenting the funding, the Minister noted the importance of improvements such as this for youth.
“The engagement of youth makes such a tangible difference in community in both incredible community-building ways and also mitigating the effects of boredom and negativity,” Minister Beazley said.
“In communities with such a high youth population, providing strong recreation options is crucial,” the Minister added.
The community has greatly anticipated the improvements, particularly the youth.
“There’s a strong flow in the community with the pool, basketball courts, drop-in centre, playgroup and primary school all within a 100-metre radius,” said Angelica McLean, a Council Board Member who has lived in Warburton for most of her life.
“The recreation options we’re able to provide and improve in our communities, like Warburton, deliver strong, healthy outcomes for our youth, but also help with the negative consequences that come from a lack of recreational options,” Angelica added.
Improving facilities such as basketball courts shifts a limited option to an attractive place to socialise during the day and night.
“Funding like this demonstrates that our youth are valued and makes one of the ‘only’ places a genuinely enticing place to hang out with others,” the Minister noted.
A valuable contribution from the BHP West Musgrave Project Social Investment Fund with Ngaanyatjarra Council also supplements the funding for the basketball court.
With summer temperatures regularly in the mid-40Cs in Warburton, there’s a strong ambition to add a shaded structure to the court when funding becomes available.
Works begin on the courts in March and will be carried out by Ngaanyatjarra Construction and Maintenance.


