Muller Park Tennis and Croquet Club will have access to full-sized croquet courts for the first time in more than two years, thanks to funding from the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund.
The club, located in North Dubbo, will receive $194,131 from the program, with Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders proud to partner with the club on the project.
“I’ve been to the club a couple of times, and the members all indicated they were very keen for a modern upgraded facility, not just for the local players, but to improve their chances of attracting events and bringing players in from other locations,” Mr Saunders said.
“We’ve seen with the COVID-19 pandemic how important it is for people to have an avenue to get fresh air and exercise, and I’m glad this funding will give Dubbo Croquet Club members access to quality facilities.”
Club president Patricia Shanks said club members were thrilled to have access to facilities they haven’t had since relocating in 2018.
“We’ve been playing on modified tennis courts, and that has meant we haven’t been able to play on proper-sized croquet courts,” she said.
“Without this funding there is no way we would have been able to do the work needed to give us standard sized courts, and we’ll be using synthetic turf so that we won’t be impacted by weather as often as we would on regular turf.
“Our club has been growing attracting some new members, so to have two proper courts will also mean we can hopefully continue to build once this coronavirus has passed.” Work will commence as soon as possible, and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.