Sport
21 March, 2023
Club seeks funds for major upgrade
ATTRACTING and being able to host larger competitions will be possible if Mareeba Tennis Club is successful in obtaining government grants to undertake a $546,000 upgrade of its playing courts.
According to a report to Mareeba Shire Council, Tennis Queensland undertook a comprehensive audit of the Mareeba facility in 2017 and recommended the courts be rebuilt.
The club is now seeking to secure the funding to carry out the upgrade, applying for a $250,000 grant from the Queensland Government’s Minor Infrastructure Program and $100,000 in funding under the Bendigo Bank’s Community Grant program.
If it is successful, Mareeba Shire will provide a $50,000 interest-free loan so the project can go ahead.
Mayor Angela Toppin said it was a great way for council to support sporting clubs, with the loan from council able to save the club nearly $10,000 in interest.
“Tennis Queensland has done an assessment and the courts are okay for smaller competitions, but not for larger ones,” she said.
Cr Locky Benstead said without the courts being upgraded to a higher standard, the club was missing out on opportunities to host large competitions.
According to the report, the Mareeba Tennis Club currently has a membership of between 180-200 with strong potential to further expand their membership and events into the future.
If it does secure the interest-free loan, the report said the club was in a strong financial position and had proposed a repayment amount of $5,000 each July and $5,000 each December for the next five years.
