Hi Everybody,
The committee is pleased to announce that the replacement of the en tout cas courts with synthetic clay will proceed soon.
Attached is a copy of the planning document.
Funding has now been finalised and the tender process will go ahead as soon as possible.
The tennis club is contributing $20,000 in funding and the remainder is being provided by Sport and Recreation Victoria and Kingston Council.
The project has been in the wings since the last State Election and please note announcements at that time and recent negotiations the club has undertaken with Council and the Regents Park Project group to get to this stage.
We are hoping that construction will occur over the Christmas holiday period, however the timing is unfortunate given lockdown and restrictions on tennis. Obviously, lockdown would have been the best time but there were substantial hurdles with funding and delays caused by covid. We will not have the four courts available over that time and may have to limit use of the 2 blue courts.
We believe it will be worth it in the medium and long term given the following factors
- Ongoing deterioration of en tout cas courts where limited rain fall render the courts unplayable for a significant amount of time.
- Up keep and maintenance of courts involving excessive costs over summer to keep them playable
- Difficulty in ensuring that casual players properly water and bag courts over the warmer weather.
The synthetic clay courts will:
- Provide a truer bounce and will be set up to mirror as closely as possible how the en tout cas courts play.
- Not require watering.
- Not require the same level of bagging.
- Maintenance will be much reduced and along with it the operating costs to the club.
We look forward to receiving your patience and support and I am sure we will all reap the benefits through 2022 and beyond.
Aspendale Tennis Club Committee
