Announcement of plans for State Tennis Centre

Sport and Recreation Minister Graham Edwards today announced plans for a State Tennis Centre.

Mr Edwards said the WA Government had ceded land alongside the Burswood Golf Course to Tennis West to build the complex.

The land was valued between $3 - $4 million.

"Tennis West has also been given a $500,000 Government grant from the Community Sporting and Recreation Facility Fund (CSRFF) to help get the project off the ground," Mr Edwards said.

Premier Carmen Lawrence announced yesterday that $15 million in CSRFF grants had been allocated to sporting bodies, community groups and local government throughout WA to help build or improve sport and recreation facilities.

Mr Edwards said the tennis centre would feature 30 world-class synthetic surface courts, an administration complex, landscaping, more than 300 parking bays and easy access by road and rail.

"The State Tennis Centre will provide a tremendous boost for local tennis," Mr Edwards said.

"It will meet a number of needs and save many talented young tennis players having to move out of the State to find top-level training facilities and competition."

Mr Edwards said the 7.4 ha site was situated between the golf course and the railway line and would be an ideal home for tennis.

A working party report on international standard facilities chaired by the Ministry of Sport and Recreation last year had confirmed the need for a major tennis centre.

"Tennis West is already busy with a number of projects to raise the rest of the money needed to build the centre," Mr Edwards said.