Pyrrhic victory for tennis community

At a surprise Extraordinary General Meeting called last Friday evening, Council awarded management of the Rushcutters Bay tennis courts to its long-standing operator, Rory Miles.

This broke a deadlock which had seen hundreds of supporters turn up to three Council meetings only to hear stoic refusals of the community’s will. Management of all the City’s courts had originally been awarded to a single operator until a legal opinion put forward by Crs Meredith Burgmann and Chris Harris questioned communications between tenderers and councillors.

About 100 supporters attended this meeting, after which the cheering crowd celebrated at Bells Hotel in Woolloomooloo.

But conditions imposed in the second tender are so onerous that the community’s victory may be Phyrric.

Managers of the City’s courts, including those at St Alfred’s Park, have previously been reasonably independent, allowing management styles to vary in response to local communities.

But now every detail of the operation is micro-prescribed by Town Hall bureaucrats. Staff must now wear uniforms with name badges. Branded clothing is forbidden. They must join Tennis Australia. All tables and chairs at kiosks must be white. Reporting requirements are much tougher and more frequent. The contract runs for only three years. The tenderer is no longer independent, but more or less a Council employee, subject to instant dismissal on several grounds.

If an operator is dismissed, Council gets to acquire their capital equipment at the rate of only one dollar for every item worth under $500 – which is most of the equipment.

At Rushcutters Bay, a group of older locals for decades have been playing a round of evening tennis before sharing a bottle of wine at the café, joined by friends from a nearby retirement home who are not mobile enough to play tennis.

Now, one glass of alcohol found on the premises will cause instant dismissal.

There are reports that the prescriptive conditions are driving away tenderers. Mr Miles said he almost gave up at one point during his second application because the rules  were so tough.

“It’s good that Council has finally acknowledged the community support,” said local supporter Dixie Coulton, “but I’ve heard other tenderers are thin on the ground, because the tender conditions are so onerous”.

Tenders have not been awarded for other City courts amid reports that applicants have withdrawn their bids.

by Michael Gormly