It was with great shock and disbelief that members, players, and parents of the Mullumbimby Tennis Club received the devastating news that Byron Shire Council will NOT be renewing the management of our amazing club.
It was over 30 years ago when a group of local parents and tennis enthusiasts had a vision of creating a tennis facility for our town and its children, thus forming the Mullumbimby Tennis Club.
Starting from a vacant patch of Council-owned land, they tirelessly fundraised, sought grants and took out a bank loan (which was repaid) to create the amazing facility we have today. Our club has been utilised by hundreds of local children, adults and schools over many years.
Recently the club has survived Covid and rebuilt the courts after servere damage from the 2022 floods. It was only through the commitment of the Mullumbimby Tennis Club that these facilities continue to thrive.
It is highly likely – when the out of town club awarded the management take-over our Mullum club – that they will bring with them their own coaching staff. This would mean losing our much loved coach, Steve. Steve rose from the ranks as a Mullum junior to become the club coach. Steve has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to junior development within the club for over ten years, often giving his time freely to ensure junior players can access the competition they require to pursue their tennis skills. He employs local students and adults as coaching staff. Steve has been able to do all this while keeping his rates fair and affordable.
After 30 years of dedication to tennis and our Mullumbimby community the Mullumbimby Tennis Club is financially strong, has large numbers of players across junior, adult and social members and a tournament-level facility. Why would Council make a decision to hand over a viable homegrown asset to an out-of-town enterprise?
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