A group of residents last week protested against a proposal to construct two new tennis courts at Dennis Reserve in Williamstown.
Hobsons Bay council last month endorsed an assessment which recommended two courts be built on the decommissioned women’s bowling green.
However, the report noted that “council needs to resolve the future use of this site through the Dennis Reserve Master Plan process”.
The assessment identified the $350,000 two new courts at Williamstown Central Tennis Club (Dennis Reserve) as a short-term priority.
Bonnie Gelman is part of a campaign calling for more public open space in Dennis Reserve and not more tennis courts.
“We are asking council to do its best for the majority of residents,” she said.
“This is a small neighbourhood park. A number of multi-storey residential developments are planned nearby.
“More open space for a variety of uses is needed. The development of two more fenced-off tennis courts is problematic.
“None of us are anti-tennis. We are just asking that the master plan process for Dennis Reserve results in preference being given to facilities that are accessible, multi-use and beneficial to the broadest cross section of our community.”
Williamstown Central Tennis Club president Michael Greaves said the disused bowling green presented an opportunity to create tennis courts and open space.
“The tennis courts can be done in a way that opens up a fair bit of that existing bowling green as open space,” he said.
“There are a lot of people in our community that play tennis and we are having to travel outside our community to play.
“We have an opportunity for a win-win. We have an opportunity to improve that park, open up more open space and add two additional tennis courts.”
A council spokeswoman said no decision had been made.
“No decision has been taken by council on the future use of the site at Dennis Reserve,” she said. “A report is expected to go back before the council for their consideration in July.”
