Details of new State Tennis Centre

20/9/94

Perth will attract more world tennis stars to compete in international tournaments with the construction of a $5.6 million State Tennis Centre.

Sport and Recreation Minister Norman Moore today announced details of the new centre in a ground-breaking ceremony on the chosen site, at Burswood.

Mr Moore joined a number of former State tennis greats to mark the start of construction of the centre's first stage which involved building 13 hard courts and an administration centre.

This stage was expected to be completed within a year, with the longer-term stage two envisaged to have more than 30 courts.

The State Government has allocated $3.6 million to the project over two years with Tennis Australia contributing $600,000 and Tennis West $400,000.  The Federal Government was providing $250,000.

The location of the State Tennis Centre, close to the Burswood Resort which was the home of the Hopman Cup, was also expected to increase its attraction to overseas and interstate tourists.

The Minister said the Centre would mean Perth would be more readily able to stage national and international tennis tournaments with world-ranked players taking part.

It would also cater for the needs of club and recreational players, among the 25,000 Western Australians directly involved in tennis which is the eighth most popular sport in the State.

"It will very much be a community facility; a focus for the sport of tennis in Western Australia, with the flexibility to host international events," Mr Moore said.

"This international-standard centre will add another dimension to the game in this State, with Tennis West able to have an alternative to traditional grass court venues.  This will mean domestic tournaments will be able to be run on a year-round basis."

The Minister said this 'year round' approach had lifted the profile and standard of players in other States and could only do the same here.

Tennis West would also be able to maintain and further develop sporting links with the State's Asian neighbours.

Media contact:  Ross Storey   321 1444   222 9595