A new pavilion for Yan Yean Tennis Club is a step closer after Whittlesea council agreed to fast-track a detailed design and ask for more money for the project from the Interface Growth Fund (IGF).
The club has run a long-standing campaign for upgrades to its club house and for new courts.
Club secretary Adele Heaney and coaching director Doug Hamilton made submissions to the council’s 2014-15 budget, requesting more money to repair the club’s ageing facilities and cope with exponential growth in young members.
Mr Hamilton said the tennis club would field nine junior tennis teams next season. “This represents a 300 per cent increase in junior teams over the past few years, and we are growing quicker than any other club in the Diamond Valley Tennis Association,” he said.
Ms Heaney said the club asked the council for $75,000 from its 2015-16 budget to be allocated this year and a larger sum of $500,000 to $1 million for next year.
“The club will show that over a number of years it has been losing long-time adult members directly due to the poor facilities,” she submitted.
Ms Heaney said the club had to use a nearby public toilet block that was closed in the evening.
In response, Whittlesea council has said the design of the pavilion upgrade will be fast-tracked, and it will consider making this a priority project for the IGF.
The state government is offering outer suburban councils a share in $50 million to help them build community centres, local infrastructure projects and playgrounds.
A council spokeswoman said there had been no formal decision on the priority projects for submission to the IGF as yet, but council officers would meet to discuss potential projects.
“Yan Yean Tennis Club’s inclusion on the priority list for funding is being assessed against the IGF criteria and other priority projects,” she said.
“The design timeframe and actual funding request is yet to be determined.”
