This is a petition in support of the development of an outdoor table tennis table area at the Molle Street end of Linear Park, on the Hobart Rivulet.  

Table tennis is a popular sport which allows people of all ages, genders and abilities to come together and have fun.  The sport is easy to learn and entry level equipment is minimal and cheap. The installation of public outdoor table tennis table within communities encourages community members to get active and allows them to socialise with each other in public spaces. Encouraging the use of public spaces contributes to the feeling that our city is lived in, and not just a place where people live.

The installation of a public outdoor table tennis table will ensure Hobart City Council keeps up with current global and local trends. Throughout Western Europe public outdoor table tennis tables are a common sight.  In 2010 the English Table Tennis Association worked with a variety of London borough councils to install 47 table tennis tables in a variety of parks across London.  In Australia, public outdoor table tennis tables can be found in Melbourne, Sydney, Fremantle and Newcastle.  Recently, Clarence City Council has installed a public outdoor table tennis table as part of its redevelopment of the Kangaroo Bay foreshore.

 The location has been chosen as there is a relatively high degree of shelter, the table will have a relatively high degree of visibility and the location is close to an open space park which is conducive to the social aspect of table tennis. A further benefit of this location is the proximity to local business such as Hamlet, who may benefit from increased customer flow and the opportunity to expand their business by hiring out table tennis equipment.

At the end of the day, it would just be a bit of fun, wouldn't it?