After a meticulous five-year plan and process for the repair of courts and surrounding infrastructure at Toolamba, the outcome for Sport and Recreation’s second round was resoundingly positive for the club and Greater Shepparton City Council.
Securing a grant from the Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund means that up to $1 million could be invested into the redevelopment of Toolamba’s tennis facilities.
It will be a welcome renovation to the community, with the previous major court upgrade dating back to 2000.
Since then, the tennis courts have begun to creep into territory unsafe for usage, with poor draining and uneven ground contributing to a slippery and hard-to-play-on surface.
It’s hence why council and the tennis club are planning on making significant changes to improve the facilities.
“The project is four new acrylic courts,” tennis club president Mel Calleja said.
“There’ll be new drainage, fencing and lights.
“It’s a total redevelopment of the courts.”
The courts will also feature netball line markings to allow Murchison-Toolamba netball club to host games at the venue too.
The wait for upgrades has been a patient onem however, with a Tennis Victoria audit of the courts in 2020 suggesting that an application for redevelopment funding should be sought.
“Their main issues with the courts were with the drainage, that the courts were slippery and the base was likely failing as well,” Calleja said.
“Their recommendation was a full reconstruction, so that’s where the whole project started.”
Across the half-decade until the grant was confirmed, the tennis club gradually moved through the application process in hope its served bid would sail through like an ace.
While its initial application in the first round was backhanded across the net, the second attempt scored and sealed the deal.
“In March 2021 we were successful in getting a funding application from the council,” Calleja said.
“We then had a compliance and condition audit carried out and then started with our design plans.
“Those final design plans were received in February 2023 and then March 2024 the council applied for the first round of the Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund, which we were unsuccessful for, but we were successful in the second round this year.”
Toolamba Tennis Club is hoping that the redevelopment sparks more interest in locals picking up the racquet.
“It’s great for our community,” Calleja said.
“We’re excited that these facilities are going to available for people in Toolamba.
“There’s been a lot of work put in, locally and by council, to get this funding.
“We’re the only sporting club solely based in Toolamba at the moment, so we’re just really excited to have some new, safe facilities for our community.”
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