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40 tennis venues across Australia will be more accessible than ever before, with a new $200,000 Federal Government grant funding the installation of an innovative online court booking platform.

The grant, backed by Federal Minister for Sport Bridget McKenzie, is part of an initiative which aims to improve the health of Australians through sport.

Tennis Australia Chief Executive Craig Tiley advised that the new online booking platform, which has been piloted in all states, is already encouraging more people to take to the court and welcomed the funding announcement which will help the program expand.

Tiley advised "gone are the days in tennis when you had to track down a club member to get a key for the courts before you could play

“We are now unlocking tennis clubs around Australia by providing flexible and convenient access to players at all levels, an innovative solution that is encouraging more people to take to the court.

“I’m delighted the Federal Government is helping more clubs become more accessible with this tremendous grant.

“Tennis provides lifelong health and social benefits, and research shows that playing the sport can increase your life span up to 7.5 years. Making courts and clubs easier to access will help us bring more people - from seasoned players who may have taken a break from tennis to first-timers - on court and into clubs to enjoy our great sport.”

The system allows players to book and pay online, receiving a PIN which will provide court access and lighting at their designated time. Connecting with a pin pad on the club gate, the payment platform is easy to use for both players and club administrators, and pilot programs have also demonstrated significant economic uplift for participating clubs.

Senator McKenzie advised “Australia has a long and proud history of tennis champions from Evonne Goolagong to Lleyton Hewitt and by encouraging more people to get involved playing tennis, we are encouraging all Australian’s to lead healthy and active lifestyles and potentially unearthing the next Australian Open champion.

“As part of the national sport plan - Sport 2030 - our Government is committed to reducing the level of inactivity in Australia by 15% by 2030 and to do this, we need more Australians to get more active, more often.”

There are already 165 venues across Australia using the online system and over 1000 courts, so players can get their tennis fix whether away on holiday and looking for somewhere new to play, or after a social hit with friends at a local club.

The system recently won an award for Excellence in Innovation at the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Participation Awards, recognising an ASC-funded sporting organisation that continues to evolve and encourage participation through various strategies and initiatives.

The following venues that have been selected for funding towards the installation are:

1. Campbell Tennis Club, ACT
2. Belrose Tennis Club, NSW
3. Marrickville District Lawn Tennis Club, NSW
4. Tweed Heads Tennis Club, NSW
5. Binalong Park Tennis Courts, NSW
6. Caber Park Tennis Courts, NSW
7. Caroline Chisholm Park Tennis Courts, NSW
8. Gallery Gardens Tennis Courts, NSW
9. Timbergetters Reserve Tennis Courts, NSW
10. West Epping Park Tennis Courts, NSW
11. Gardens Tennis, Northern Territory
12. Deception Bay TC, Queensland
13. Ferny Hills Wahminda, Queensland
14. Moggill District Sports Park, Queensland
15. Wamuran Sports Complex, Queensland
16. Graceville State School, Queensland
17. Sherwood State School, Queensland
18. The Gap State School, Queensland
19. Victor Harbor Tennis Club, South Australia
20. Greenacres Tennis Club, South Australia
21. Modbury Tennis Club, South Australia
22. Hectorville Sports and Community Tennis Club, South Australia
23. Scottsdale Tennis Club, Tasmania
24. Cygnet Tennis Club, Tasmania
25. Taroona Tennis Club, Tasmania
26. Hamilton Lawn Tennis Club, Victoria
27. Port Fairy Tennis Club, Victoria
28. Dendy Park Tennis Club, Victoria
29. Hadfield Tennis Club, Victoria
30. Highmoor Uniting TC, Victoria
31. Jan Juc Tennis Club, Victoria
32. Ocean Grove Tennis Club, Victoria
33. Torquay Tennis Club, Victoria
34. Healesville Tennis Club, Victoria
35. Gracedale Park Tennis Club, Victoria
36. Mundaring TC, Western Australia
37. Dunsborough and Districts Country Club, Western Australia
38. Kelmscott Tennis Club, Western Australia
39. Peppermint Grove Tennis Club, Western Australia
40. Range View Park Tennis Club, Western Australia

For more informatioon, go to play.tennis.com.au/court-hire 

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