THE COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works of one of the region's most anticipated projects.
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Construction of the proposed $2.5 million upgrade of Treloar Park has been postponed until June 2021, due to the impacts of the pandemic.
Work was set to begin in June, however Tamworth Regional Council's sport and recreation manager Paul Kelly said the project's timeframe had been revised.
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"All project partners remain committed to the redevelopment," Mr Kelly said.
"The project continues to have the support of the federal government with $1.4 million through the Building Better Regions Fund, plus $225,000 from [the] council, $200,000 from Tennis NSW and $975,000 from West Tamworth League Club."
Wests chief executive officer Rod Laing said like many businesses, Wests had sustained significant financial impacts after being closed for several months during the lockdown.
"The club has now reopened, but it is not expected to return to its usual trading levels until COVID-19 restrictions ease further," Mr Laing said.
"The club has requested the postponement of the project to allow its financial position to recover."
The decision to put construction of the project on hold comes after the council's development application for the upgrade was approved under conditions.
"The plans are very exciting - that's the feedback we've received from both [tennis club] members and neighbours," Mr Laing told the Leader in February.
The new state-of-the-art tennis courts are slated to allow Tamworth the opportunity to host a variety of major tennis tournaments, which could attract visitors from across the country.
It's expected the new facility will also create new jobs, with the clubhouse to extend its operating hours from the morning into the late evening, as opposed to opening at 3.30pm.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
