Sport group aims for ‘big picture of industry’

TENTERFIELD Shire Council’s newly-formed Sport and Recreation Advisory Committee held its first meeting last Thursday, albeit at half-strength.

Although there are 10 positions on the committee to be filled, only five applications were received in response to council advertising.

Committee members are now individually approaching suitably-qualified community members with a view to filling all positions before the next meeting on September 26.

The committee has decided on breakfast meetings on the last Wednesday of each month, according to newly-appointed chairperson Christine Foster. Joining her on the committee are Alan Donges, Bernadette McIntyre, Karen Forbes and Jason Ash, along with Harry Bolton as the council representative.

The committee’s role is to advise the council on the development, management and promotion of local recreation and sporting facilities.

To that end one of the committee’s first undertakings will be an audit of all local recreation and sporting groups to create a two-year timeline of upcoming events, according to Mrs Foster.

“We want to create a big picture of the industry in Tenterfield,” she said.

“We want to determine the benefits to the community, and to see each group’s wish list for the next two, five, 10 years.”

Mrs Foster emphasised that the committee was interested in recreation groups as well as sporting groups. She said the committee aimed to have Tenterfield work together more successfully, particularly in accessing funding and avoiding double-ups.

“We’re a small community, we’ve got to work smarter,” she said.

One of its first jobs is to support the Tenterfield and District Tennis Association’s application for grants totalling $50,000 to upgrade the town courts in Wood Street with synthetic grass, fencing and lighting.

The grants, which have already received the support of Member for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay, would be matched in kind by the association.