By BRIDGET COOK
A CRANBOURNE East father has called foul play on being ordered to take down his son’s basketball ring from the nature strip in front of their house after a neighbour complained.
Phill Lloyd was issued with a notice from the City of Casey in March which gave him 14 days to remove the portable basketball ring from his nature strip.
Mr Lloyd said he understood council by-laws but he was angry that he had been targeted due to one complaint from a neighbour.
“There are basketball rings on nature strips all around the neighbourhood,” he said.
“This is not about dobbing in others who have rings up, but it’s a case of, what is good for one should be good for all.
“This wasn’t the council going out enforcing this, it has come from a complaint.
“It just seems unfair that because one neighbour doesn’t like the sound of a bouncing basketball after school, we are having the rules enforced where they are not elsewhere.”
Mr Lloyd said the basketball ring was a Christmas present for his son Bailey, 9, who plays representative basketball with the Casey Cavaliers, so he could practise at home.
He said the family didn’t have room for the hoop in the backyard or a hard surface to play on.
“We decided to set it up on the front nature strip as it was the best stop for my son to be able to play on the road in our quite street,” he said.
“I didn’t investigate with council as there were plenty of others around that I have seen, and even went as far as knocking on someone’s door to ask about theirs.
“It has been there for three years with no problem.”
Mr Lloyd said his son was devastated they had to take it down.
He is now getting some help from a neighbour to landscape some of the garden in the front yard to make way for the basketball ring, where Bailey can play in their small driveway.
He said he thought the situation was unfair.
“It was not hurting or causing any intrusion for anyone,” he said.
“I’m not able to do anything about it or explain my situation at all.”
City of Casey manager community safety Caroline Bell confirmed the council did receive a complaint about the ring and asked for it to be moved, in compliance with the local law.
“In this case the ring was on the nature strip overhanging the road, at an intersection,” she said.
“This required the player to be on the road to use the hoop, making it very dangerous for the user and the motorist.”
