New Gisborne Tennis Club will receive a state government grant to install LED lights, which will allow players to use an extra two courts outside of daylight hours.
The $170,000 grant will be offered under the state’s regional community sports infrastructure fund, and will be used to install LED lights for courts one and two at the club located in Ross Watt Reserve.
This fund encourages councils, clubs and communities to collaborate in designing sports facilities for their regions and aims to promote participation in sport.
New Gisborne Tennis Club president Neil Moorhouse said the grant will have a strong impact on the club.
“We are delighted that we have been successful,” Mr Moorhouse said.
“Having all four courts under lights just makes it so much more flexible, which is great,” he said.
Mr Moorhouse said the club felt it was important to improve the courts as a community asset, especially considering the forecasted population growth of the region.
He said the two courts already under lights have significant problems due to their location.
Mr Moorhouse said that instead of resurfacing these, the club will build two new lit courts adjacent to the ones about to be upgraded with lighting, as part of the council-endorsed Ross Watt Reserve Master Plan.
Oscar Parry
