Hobart netball players are struggling with a court shortage as demand for new facilities continues to grow.
The Southern Tasmanian Netball Association (STNA) often has to run “overdraft rounds” to make up for lost games due to the lack of available courts.
16-year-old player Emily Carnes finds the situation “frustrating”, saying teams are constantly juggling different playing days and unpredictable schedules.
“Quite often you’ll miss out and you’ll have to play two games quite close to each other while other teams get a bigger break,” she said.
But a $1.5 million redevelopment of an overgrown bowling green at the New Town Sporting Precinct, funded by the state government, could help fix that.
The project will turn the space into two new netball courts with LED floodlights and fresh fencing.
STNA President Alison Lai said the extra courts will help grow the sport, particularly for juniors and women over 30, where demand for new teams is booming.
“We’ve had to be really careful in actually providing those opportunities because we just don’t have the court space,” Lai said.
“This project means we’re going to be able to stop thinking about issues like capping teams and we’ll be able to offer more people the opportunity to participate.”
The neighbouring Buckingham Bowls Club will also see upgrades, including new shade infrastructure and synthetic grass around one of its greens.
Club member Phil Wheatley said the improvements would be a relief for older players who struggle with the heat.
“We’re an aging sport and we’ve got two bowlers that are in their nineties and a lot who are above eighty, so this is great because it will mean we’re not out in the sun all day,” he said.
The synthetic grass will also cut down on maintenance, saving club members from the weekly chore of mowing around the greens.
Construction kicked off on Monday and is expected to wrap up by mid-year.
