SPORT $16.7m facility is for all

TENNIS NT manager Sam Gibson says his plan is for Darwin’s new $16.7 million facility to “complement” rather than take over the Top End’s three existing clubs.

Construction is set to start on the world-class centre early next year – dependant on the winning contractor’s plans and the wet season – and will take about 12 months to complete.

There will be 15 Plexipave courts, including a 500-seat undercover show court, plus four purpose-built Hot Shots courts.

The facility will slot into the Marrara sports hub, opposite the Jingili BMX Club and next to Darwin Football Stadium.

“We’re still working out what the operating model will be,” Gibson told the NT News.

“But given we currently have three facilities in Darwin and most other sports have 10, 12, 15 clubs across Darwin and Palmerston; all of our clubs are super important to the sport.

“The ultimate aim for us is for all facilities to complement each other.

“We have to make it work, but at the same time we don’t want it to work at the expense of any other club not working.”

Dual US Open champion and Tennis Australia’s performance director Pat Rafter made a rare trip to Darwin in March to announce the facility was ready to go ahead.

The NT Government fully funded the tennis centre after Tennis NT failed initially to score the $8 million it requested in round two of the National Stronger Regions Fund late last year.

Gibson’s goal is for the Territory to host back-to-back weeks of Australian Pro Tour tournaments – one in Darwin and the other at Alice Springs, which has held one the past seven years.

Tennis Australia officials told the NT News in August last year it was unlikely the NT would get more than one spot in the Pro Tour calendar.

Gibson said part of Alice Springs Tennis Club’s success was the fact it had the professional tournament, which offered various playing pathways and other opportunities to be involved.

“We think it’s the missing piece of the puzzle and has been for more than five, 10 years for tennis,” Gibson said of the new facility.

“You look at all the other sports in the Territory and the way that they are able to showcase the sport through events – tennis in Darwin hasn’t been able to do that for some time.

“That is unless it’s a heavy investment into something like the Davis Cup (which Darwin held on a temporary grass court at Marrara last year), which we obviously had and was great.”

Gibson said Darwin’s proximity to Asia and interest in that region to form sporting relationships provided a great opportunity for Territory tennis.