Northcote Indoor Sports Centre closes today

The Northcote Indoor Sports Centre has closed following 'unfair' COVID rates and land taxes, despite council-owned centres going rent-free. Local families have been left to find an alternative venue, after an unsuccessful petition to Darebin council. Genevieve Spiteri reports.

The Northcote Indoor Sports Centre has closed today due to financial troubles, after building owner Alex Jesensek said debts from closing the centre during Melbourne's COVID lockdowns caught up to the family-run business. In meetings with Darebin council, Jesensek said the centre wasn't exempt from land taxes despite the council admitting public centres paid "virtually no" rates.

The Centre sees hundreds of families visit weekly for local sporting competitions, who will now have to relocate elsewhere. (Photo: Genevieve Spiteri)

Local parents and junior sports league managers petitioned the local council in May to assist in the centre's financial troubles or find an alternative site, garnering nearly 400 signatures.

Jesensek said that while the result is disappointing, he has no other choice after "two full years" of no income and a quiet last summer. Despite it all, he looks back on the centre with fond memories.

"You know, I've never worked a day in my life," he said. "It's been a real lot of fun. There aren't many people who can say that."

The centre hosts hundreds of young cricketers every week in its indoor nets in Thornbury, seeing parents from across Melbourne's North connect every Friday. During Melbourne's lockdowns, the centre had to close up until the total lockdown lifted, leaving Jesensek to try and make up for the lost income whilst finding new owners.

"I had a meeting with Darebin City Council at the time saying, you know, like 'all your other rec centers are closed, are they paying rates?'" Jesensek said.

"And they virtually said no, because they're Council. I said, 'well, but people are in there running it, are they paying rent?' No. So at the end of the day, I didn't have to pay them the rates there and then, but I still have to pay it back. And that's a lot of money when you don't have any income coming in for two full years."

Jesensek has owned the centre for 26 years, working alongside business operator Peter Shine, but the pair had been unable to find new owners for the building who would keep the centre as a sports venue in time. Now, sports managers and parents will have to relocate.

On Friday nights, approximately 216 children participate in the Junior Indoor Cricket League. The manager of the Junior Indoor Cricket League at the Centre, Frank Maher, started the petition to encourage the local council to support the League with finding a new location, “I’m not sure Darebin would really want to lose something like this,” he said.

Mark, a parent of a son who competes in the Junior Indoor Cricket League, said the centre and indoor cricket league have been a special part of the local community. “It's an opportunity for people who love cricket to play cricket and hone their skills, make friends, be part of something,” he said.

“We need to… be mindful that whilst we're looking at different areas for development… that we still need to make sure that there are facilities and amenities for residents in these areas as well,” he said, hoping that the Darebin Council will take action to preserve the Centre. 

“I personally think this place is worth it.”  

The centre is home to Victoria's largest indoor cricket competition, with nearly 40 teams, according to the petition's description. (Photo: Genevieve Spiteri)

The Darebin City Council tabled the petition on the 26th of May.

Danielle, a mother of two children who play in the Junior Indoor Cricket League, said “there's nothing else like (the centre) around here at all in terms of this sort of competition”. 

She’s concerned that the relocation of her sons’ games will prevent their family from being able to access the competition.

“I actually don't know how we'll do it… it's just that much further,” she said, referring to the potential proposed locations in Bundoora or Box Hill.  

Nick, another parent, also wants the centre close to home.

“I'd love them to find a suitable place to have two or three nets and for it to continue," he said.

[it would] be amazing to keep it local”. 

Peter Shine, the owner of the Northcote Indoor Sports Centre business, said that finding a new location would be too time-consuming and ultimately ineffective, as parents may not bring their children back if they relocate.

"Some [teams] might," he said. "[but] they're probably not gonna come back, say seven out of 10… you’re still gonna lose those three”.  

Many families may end up taking their kids elsewhere, as Melbourne's sporting facilities face shortages of booking openings. (Photo: Genevieve Spiteri)

Jesensek's family has worked at the centre for decades. He had hoped someone else with a love for community sports might have bought the building to allow competitions to continue smoothly. "It's been a really good time to be honest, and all my kids have worked there at some stage growing up. They're older now, but yeah, so it's sort of been a real family vibe." "I was hoping that someone would be passionate enough to want it, and that probably worked against the sale, because they could see how passionate I was, so they would lowball the price, [thinking] I would take that offer, you know, because of my passion involved in it. But at the end of the day, I have to do what's right by my family... that might sound selfish, but it's not really, because we've been sort of digging the centre out of a bit of a grave since COVID."