Tenterfield council and sport groups team up on funding proposal

Tenterfield Council and the Sport and Recreation Committee (TSRC) are joining forces to apply for Community Partnership (CP) funding for two major projects.
They are seeking an upgrade of the three existing tennis courts and a new picket fence around Shirley Park which is used for both cricket and soccer.
During talks with Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay this week Mayor Toby Smith said Council would commit $50,000 to match an application for a $50,000 CP grant.
The Sport and Recreation Committee expected to raise the remainder of the funds through a Bowls Day on September 21 and other events.
The resurfacing of the three courts on the current site with flexi- pave is estimated at $36,000 and the fence would cost $80,000.
Mr Torbay said the plan had his support and he would recommend it to the government.
“The Community Partnership funding is a great catalyst to improve community infrastructure,” he said. “Last year communities and councils in the Northern Tablelands turned $400,000 into $1.2 million through their contributions. It is all about partnerships and the Tenterfield project ticks all those boxes.”
Council’s Business Services and Cultural Development Officer Harry Bolton and TSRC Chair Christine Foster say the two projects fit well with the plan to built Tenterfield’s sporting infrastructure.
Ms Foster is keen to see the resurfacing of the tennis courts which are shared between Tennis Club members and the Sir Henry Parkes Memorial School before new professional coach Chris Sandcutt arrives to live in Tenterfield next year.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for our players young and old,” she said. “We are still proceeding with plans for a new tennis complex with synthetic grass courts on the sporting fields at the corner of Petrie and Landers Streets.”
Mr Bolton said the fence at the cricket and soccer ground was not safe with young players often having to cross adjoining streets to retrieve balls. The project would improve safety and amenity for players and the community.