"Tennis Play Space" Case Study
Club Name:
Freshwater Creek Reserve Tennis Play Space (formerly Freshwater Creek TC)
Location: Dickins Road, Freshwater Creek, Victoria
Management: Surf Coast Shire Council managed
Facilities: Tennis, playground and picnic space
Background
The Freshwater Creek Tennis Club folded ten years ago largely due to the decline in the popularity of Saturday competition. Gradually, three
of the four asphalt courts became unplayable due to lack of use and they also became a low priority for Council maintenance . Only one
court was available for social play, even though it was also in an average condition with weeds and cracks. An adjacent playground also
become unusable due to safety concerns, resulting in Council devising an active solution to reactivate both spaces by redeveloping the area
Project Description, Need & Objectives
With only one playable tennis court and a playground and picnic area unable to be used, the Surf Coast Shire Council recognised
the need to review, consolidate and upgrade the existing facilities at the Freshwater Creek site. Funds were available to resurface
only 1 court and to relocate the play and picnic area to a more suitable site away from overhanging branches. In redeveloping
and reactivating the underutilised tennis court space into a welcoming and accessible "tennis play space'', the Council hoped that
families would return to the reserve thus creating social connectedness to the area.
Project Summary
A key challenge the Council faced was in prioritising funds to a tennis facility without a resident club and with poor casual usage. Redevelopment of a stand
alone facility was also of low interest for funding by Sport and Recreation Victoria. Council could only allocate enough funds for one tennis court, resulting in
the other three tennis courts being decommissioned. Council was also faced with the potential closure of an existing playground and picnic area due to the
overhanging branches providing risk to users of the area. A thorough engagement process was required to test the idea of relocating a play and picnic area
onto a tennis court , an idea that thankfully received no opposition.
The time it took to progress from a poor quality and unappealing site through to a complete project providing a vibrant
redeveloped "tennis play space", was 18 months and at a total cost of $110,000. The space now includes a new resurfaced
Plexipave tennis court, upgraded fencing around the court space, a BBQ / picnic area, a netball and basketball goal area, a new
playground and a cycle circuit.
The response to the new "tennis play space" has been overwhelmingly positive. The space is regularly being used by members of the
community as well as groups including local schools, family day care, riding club and CFA families. The site is regularly chosen over other
recreational facilities due to the site being fully fenced, a large open area and providing accessible outdoor facilities so families can spend
quality time together. The tennis court is being regularly used by all ages, especially by families.
Engagement & Visits
The redeveloped tennis court is currently being used approximately 7 to 10 times per week. The tennis court is currently used for
social tennis, with no Tennis Australia programs being run at the court.
The play space gets 5 to 10 visits during the week and 10 to 20 visits during the weekends.
As mentioned previously, the space is regularly being used by the Freshwater Creek Steiner School, numerous Surf Coast Shire family
day care groups, playgroups, CFA families and riding club families. It is often being used for events such as birthday partie s and family
gatherings.
Four Pillars to Successful Venues
Providing a safe and
welcoming environment for
the Freshwater Creek
community has ensured the
tennis court and play area
are easily available to local
families. The space is
accessible and free to all
members of the community.
The space is well used and
cared for by the community.
The new development
addressed court cracks and
dips that led to previous
maintenance issues. Site
facilities are cleaned and
maintained weekly.
Resurfacing the court has
encouraged regular social
tennis. Redeveloping the
play area has provided the
community with brand
new facilities to use and
enjoy for their benefit.
Council is the responsible
body of the site. Council
saw the opportunity to
redevelop the space as a
multi activity site given
the club had folded and
site facilities were being
reviewed.
Key Learnings & Future Recommendations
The success of the "tennis play space" highlights that there is opportunity for repurposing disused tennis enclosures into multi
activity community assets. The high usage of this new space can justify investment from Council and demonstrates the
possibility of enhanced playing outcomes for tennis irrespective of the reduction in the number of tennis courts at the site. It has
been proven that this model can be successfully replicated with various enhancements and changes, as shown by the
development and success of the Surf Coast Shire Council's second "tennis play space" at Modewarre Reserve. LGA's should look
at this model as a way to repurpose existing tennis facilities where use is declining, yet it is important that councils consider the
interest and population size to justify the redevelopment. Furthermore, councils should investigate external sources of funding
to support similar projects, such as Tennis Australia's National Court Rebate and Sport And Recreation Victoria.
Project Outcomes & Conclusions
With tennis opportunities at the facility changing from fixed competition to social tennis, the courts are arguably being
used more regularly than prior to the redevelopment. With no restrictions to access the court, the "tennis play space" has
been a way to draw in new participants such as families, who may have not had exposure to tennis in the past. The space
has also become a way to introduce children to tennis as part of their play experience. By improving the attractiveness of
the courts and surrounding area, this has encouraged regular use of the court and facilities by the community and those
passing by, and could be further enhanced by implementing TA programs, such as ANZ Hot Shots, in the future. Overall,
the repurposing of the "tennis play space" has been positive, with more people playing tennis more often and
reintroducing the game of tennis to the wider community in a more accessible and attractive way.
Nicky Angus - Surf Coast Shire
For further information about this project please contact:
Community Project Development Officer
Phone: (03) 5261 0603
Email: [email protected]