TENNIS –
Central Coast Council has been working with Tennis NSW on an action plan to improve participation in the sport and improve the region’s courts.
The draft Central Coast Tennis Facilities Action Plan went to Council’s meeting on September 28 and is now on exhibition for public feedback.
Council owns 30 of the 32 tennis centres across the local government area with an asset portfolio valued at $13M.
Of those, 14 clubs affiliated with Tennis NSW operate at Council facilities with more than 3,000 members.
Another eight Council venues are unaffiliated with operating clubs, a further eight are open to the public free of charge, and two are privately owned.
Of the 30 Council-owned tennis venues, 22 have active coaching operators.
Many sites have inadequate lighting levels for commercial or competition use and there are a number of sites where
the condition of the courts is a result of inadequate recurrent investment, a report to Council said.
To bring the court portfolio up to a safe playable standard and maintain it will require a significant investment in capital and operational expenditure, with six sites requiring works within three years.
The draft plan envisages allocating a total $1.02M up to and including the 2024/25 capital works budget.
Council will also seek funding through Tennis Australia, state and federal grant programs for renewals, upgrades and new tennis facilities.
Some of the planning proposals in the five-year action plan include redevelopment of regional scale tennis facilities at Wyong and Gosford to host events that generate sports tourism benefits for the regional economy.
Another proposal is a sub-regional tennis centre in the Warnervale area.
Administrator Rik Hart said the draft Tennis Facilities Action Plan would ensure they were properly maintained, managed and any opportunities around them were realised.
“The draft action plan sets the vision for the region which is to have a network of high-quality, inclusive tennis facilities that contribute to the active and social lifestyles of our community,” he said.
“People might not know that many tennis courts managed by Council remain open, unlocked and free for public use and this is one of the many services that we deliver year-on-year for our ratepayers.
“This action plan is a positive step to ensure that Council is making smart, calculated decisions around facility planning and improvements, that these community facilities continue to remain open and fit for purpose for all to enjoy and may even encourage more people to get into the sport,” Hart said.
The draft Central Coast Tennis Facilities Action Plan 2021 will be placed on public exhibition on yourvoiceourcoast.com for community feedback in coming weeks.
Sue Murray