By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Emerald Tennis Club president Nadia Beardshaw, has spoken out about the ongoing struggles with grants and funding, particularly when it comes to the club’s long-awaited lighting upgrades.
While community grants, such as those from the state government’s ‘Sporting Club Grants Program’, aim to support local clubs, Ms Beardshaw said the process often leaves clubs like hers frustrated and underserved.
Ms Beardshaw explained that over the years, the club has successfully received smaller grants to purchase uniforms for junior players.
These grants have helped cover the cost of uniforms for kids competing in tennis, allowing the club to offer them for free.
“It’s been a great help, the kids don’t have to pay for their uniforms, which is a real positive for the community,” she said.
However, the club’s experience with larger grants – particularly for upgrading the lighting on its tennis courts – has been far more complicated.
Ms Beardshaw described the project as a “long-running saga” that has yet to be fully resolved.
“We received funding for new lighting, but it turned out to be a huge mess,” she said.
“The original lights were condemned, and after years of raising concerns, we finally got new lights installed. But they’re completely unsuitable for our courts. The poles are so high, and the light distribution is all over the place. One of our courts is still non-compliant.”
Despite the club’s ongoing complaints and independent testing of the lights, the issues remain unresolved.
“We had to pay for testing ourselves because the council didn’t take our concerns seriously,” Ms Beardshaw said.
“Yet, the council released an article saying everything was finished and perfect – when it wasn’t.”
Adding to the frustration, she pointed out that part of the funding meant for the tennis club’s lighting upgrades was redirected to improve lighting for other areas of the local reserve.
“The money was meant for us, but it ended up funding the football and cricket clubs instead. It’s a very political system, and now, we’re left with inadequate lighting for our courts,” she said.
Ms Beardshaw’s frustrations with the grant process don’t stop at mismanagement.
She also highlighted the heavy workload required from volunteers just to apply for grants.
“It’s not just about filling out a simple form anymore,” she said.
“You have to get quotes, do paperwork, and sometimes it feels like the process is so overwhelming that it’s not worth the effort.”
Her comments reflect a wider concern about how the grant system works, especially for volunteers.
In the case of the lighting grant, Ms Beardshaw revealed that a committee member with experience in sporting reserve development was essentially used by the council to manage the entire project.
“They saw this person’s expertise and asked them to take over the whole job. It turned into a full-time role, and in the end, we had to withdraw our grant application because it just wasn’t worth the time and energy,” she said.
Her experience contrasts with the recent announcement by Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence, about the Sporting Club Grants Program, which awarded $1.2 million to over 740 clubs across the state.
The program aims to support clubs with funding for uniforms, equipment, and infrastructure projects, and also offers grants to upskill coaches and volunteers.
“This is a major boost for clubs across the state,” Ms Spence said.
“We’re making sure clubs have the skills and equipment they need to thrive, and get more people involved.”
While Ms Beardshaw acknowledges the importance of such grants, she remains critical of how the funds are managed.
“It’s clear the system needs reform. The grants might look good on paper, but for clubs like ours, the reality is often disappointing,” she said.
As for the future of the Emerald Tennis Club’s lighting project, she remains hopeful but cautious.
“We’ll keep pushing for the lights to be fixed. But in the meantime, I think the whole grant process needs to be reconsidered – especially when it comes to ensuring the money goes where it’s needed most.”
Cardinia Shire Council has been contacted for comment.
For more information about the Sporting Club Grants Program, visit: sport.vic.gov.au
