Matt Hewson
Meredith Tennis Club is at risk of losing two of its six tennis courts as the Golden Plains Shire looks at options for building new cricket nets for the Meredith Cricket Club.
Bridget Dyer, Meredith Tennis Club committee member, said it was disappointing to receive communication from the Shire concerning the possible loss of some of its courts.
“It’s really disappointing that the Council wants to take away an asset from a club that has been built up over the last three years and is currently doing so well, to give it to a small organisation without any junior teams or female players,” Ms Dyer said.
“The local cricket club is an adult, male-only team and doesn’t have as many members as Meredith Tennis Club; 51 percent of our members are female and 49 percent are under 16.”
Ms Dyer said the cricket club had nominated a different area for the new nets, but the Council didn’t want to pay for necessary sewerage alterations in that area, and so had decided to take the courts.
“My understanding is they’d have to fix the sewerage issue, which would cost roughly $100,000 to fix, so it’s easier just to use the tennis courts,” she said.
“The cricket club has emailed the Council as well, saying they don’t want to take the tennis courts off us and proposing some alternatives.
“But the Council obviously don’t want to spend so much money and have already asked Tennis Victoria to do an assessment of whether a town our size needs six courts.”
In the last three years the club has gone from having no teams to having six junior teams, a senior team and an orange ball competition, and runs the only junior sport in the town.
The Golden Plains Shire Council (GPSC) said using a tennis court as the site of new nets was just one option at this stage.
“In response to a request to determine an appropriate location for upgraded cricket training nets from the Meredith Cricket Club, GPSC undertook site surveying work at the Meredith Recreation Reserve,” a GPSC spokesperson said.
“The results revealed the Meredith Recreation Reserve Committee’s preferred site is unable to be used due to septic lines in place and insufficient available space.
“The removal of one existing tennis court has been identified as a possible alternative, and a range of options will be further explored.”
