5 November 2014 | Tennis Victoria

Victoria’s tennis enthusiasts can look forward to more tennis, with Minister for Sport and Recreation, Damian Drum recently announcing $250,000 in Victorian Coalition Government funding to trial new gate and light access technology for tennis clubs across the state. The state government investment is also complemented by significant support from Tennis Australia in establishing an online booking solution, to be linked to hardware installation at venues.

Mr Drum, in attending the launch at one of the pilot venues, Kilmore Tennis Club said, “Opening Up Tennis is a simple on-line court booking system linked to a coded gate access, meaning anyone can go online and book a court and simply type in a code to get access to tennis facilities. Currently the public are dependent on turning up to a tennis court and hoping there are volunteers around who can let them in to access the facilities. This breaks down that barrier and gives certainty to those who might be taking up the sport. It’s an innovative approach that looks at how our sporting facilities can be better used at all hours of the day, and at the same time allows more people to try a sport that they might fall in love with.”

The system allows any person at any time who might want to give tennis a go but is not a member of a club the chance to search for their nearest club, book court time and head to the facilities armed with an access code, without having to rely on club volunteers to be there.

The Victorian pilot will include a mix of 13 metropolitan and country venues, and Tennis Victoria will be working closely with these venues to implement hardware installation and linkage to online bookings over the next six months. Assuming the pilot is successful, the intention is that the technology will be available to all tennis venues.

Clubs and centres who would like to register their interest in future rollouts of the “Opening Up Tennis” program, or who would like to find out more information are invited to contact:

Ken Barton
Tennis Victoria Facilities Operations Manager
Ph: 8420 8421
E: [email protected]