COMMUNITY tennis has received a boost with the official opening of the redeveloped Buninyong Tennis Centre on Sunday.
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Buninyong Tennis Centre promotions officer Michael O’Beirne said the redeveloped complex, featuring eight new floodlit Rebound Ace courts constructed on a heavy concrete base, presented new opportunities for night and winter competitions.
He said grand finals, to be held later this month, could now be staged at the one location, with the four senior grades able to be accommodated by the eight new courts.
“It’ll be good to have everyone in the one spot, and a good atmosphere to have in the one spot,” O’Beirne said.
“The old courts we’ve got have been in a dilapidated state.
“They were built in the 1970s and this is basically an upgrade of those.”
The total cost of the project was $554,000, with the City of Ballarat contributing $506,000 and Tennis Australia providing a further $48,000 through its national court rebate scheme.
Ballarat city councillor Ben Taylor, with Buninyong and District Tennis Association president Mandy James, cut a ribbon to officially open the new facility.
Attending the opening were councillors, past and present members of the Buninyong and District Tennis Association executive, life members, sponsors, players and club representatives.
With around 600 members and the largest tennis association in the Ballarat district, Buninyong was “boxing above its weight” Cr Taylor said.
The next stage of the Buninyong Tennis Centre redevelopment will be the construction of a new pavilion.
Designed by Morton Dunn Architects and built by Q Construction, the $380,000 clubrooms will be finished in June. They will house a new social and meeting area, male and female change rooms, a universal-access toilet and shower, kiosk, administration office and storage space.
