Million-dollar ace for tennis in Singleton
Published on 16 October 2023
Tennis players in Singleton have scored a straight sets win with Council successful in a $1million grant lobbed in by the NSW and Federal Governments to refurbish courts at Howe Park.
All six synthetic courts at the facility will be renovated, including stormwater and electrical system upgrades, following two major flooding events in February and June 2022.
Justin Fitzpatrick-Barr, Council’s Director Infrastructure and Planning Services said the funding hit was a giant boost for tennis players in Singleton.
“These courts are well-used by our community, and it is vital they are upgraded to meet standards and allow local players to stay health, active and connected,” he said.
“Following multiple flooding events last year, the subbase of the courts were significantly damage, and we are extremely grateful to the NSW and Australia governments for their support.
“Sport and recreation across Singleton is getting gold medal attention with over $10million invested throughout last financial year and this financial year across a wide net of projects to upgrade facilities across our local government area, including seating, lighting, playing surfaces and even new clubhouses.
“Council recognises the value of sport and recreation in supporting the wellbeing of our community, and we’re proactively taking action to provide the highest quality facilities for our residents.”
Following project initiation and procurement phases, construction at Howe Park is due to commence in May through to September 2024 (subject to contractor availability).
Other major sporting capital works projects in Council’s 2023/2024 Operational Plan include building the new athletics clubhouse and extending the AFL clubhouse in James Cook Park, resurfacing all 12 of Singleton’s netball courts, upgrading the netball and tennis courts at Broke Recreation Ground, designing Alroy Oval’s new fields and amenities, and lighting upgrades at Allan Bull Reserve, James Cook Park and Pirtek Park.
The Community Assets Program (CAP), under the 2022 Community Local Infrastructure Recovery Program, is co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments. The $70 million Community Asset Program aims to support the social recovery of eligible storm and flood affected local government areas (LGAs) by providing funding for the repair, restoration and betterment of community infrastructure such as parks, playgrounds, walkways and places of cultural heritage, all of which contribute to a community’s sense of wellbeing.