Raising the net

TENNIS is well and truly alive throughout the region, with Indigo Shire Council (ISC) one of three finalists nominated for a state gong for their support of the local game. Nominated in the Victorian Tennis Awards' 'Supporting Tennis – Local Government Award,' ISC will face off against the City of Boroondara and Maroondah City Council, with the winner of the award eligible to be further nominated for national recognition. Mayor Bernard Gaffney said he was thrilled to see construction projects recently completed in Beechworth, Wahgunyah and Wooragee, and works ongoing to build the Kiewa Multipurpose Pavilion acknowledged at a state level. "We've recently completed and are in the process of completing projects totaling more than $3m," he said. "We're committed to supporting our local tennis clubs to thrive well into the future to ensure our communities have opportunities to stay healthy and active." Four new cushioned acrylic concrete courts were officially opened at Beechworth's Baarmutha Park complex in May, while hardcourts at Wahgunyah and Wooragee have further whetted the appetite for tennis in the region. The new Baarmutha Park courts feature competition standard low–level LED lighting and substantial court fencing, while works to develop new clubrooms are firmly on the agenda. Some $800,000 was contributed to the development by BLTC following the sale of its previous land, while $250,000 in State Government funding was also utilised, with $35,000 contributed by ISC. Having operated at their previous Tanswell Street base for 83 years, Beechworth Lawn Tennis Club (BLTC) have since migrated to the new hardcourts, with club president Andy Carr lauding the region's facilities upgrade. "We went over three years without having any tennis courts – tennis was one of the few sports to continue through COVID so to not have any courts was pretty dire for the community," he said. "It's really energised the community – the level of interest we've had is amazing. "There's a huge demand for tennis in the community and there's this huge appetite for the community to get involved. "It was a huge investment of time and effort by a core group of people – the club didn't have the capacity or capability to run a project of that size." Mr Carr said with formal competition set to commence throughout the region in the coming weeks, the new facilities had allowed the club to offer a balance between casual and competitive play, by utilising a new online booking system. "We had a couple of come and play nights in June when it wasn't raining – we've had lots of enquiries , and lots of family enquiries especially," he said. "There's lots of interest in casual tennis locally from people who perhaps don't have the time to sign up for a team – we'll be able to offer a range of options from structured competition to casual play. "With the new book–a–court system, it just makes the accessibility so much easier. "You don't have to worry about finding a key or paying in cash somewhere, it's now all done online. "We've found more and more people want to play tennis on their own terms." The 2022 Victorian Tennis Awards will be held at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club and online on Thursday, October 27.

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