This is a petition to ask the Northern Beaches Council to approve a permit for Sydney Beach Tennis School to erect FOUR nets along a small section of Collaroy Beach.

 

The specific section is before the Beach Services Club better known as “The Beach Club” continuing south from the B1 stop, but ending well before the Surf Club. 

Our school has a permit from the Council to erect TWO nets for the school, but the location we have been allocated north of the Surf Deck Café is one of the most eroded sections of the beach between Collaroy and Narrabeen. Rocks protrude from the sand and the beach is almost never flat. It is unsafe to erect our nets here and we have had members injuring themselves when we have tried to do so. 

Our request still leaves the majority of Collaroy beach free and in no way interferes with beach users or Collaroy Surf Life Saving club, surf carnivals or surf events. This small section of beach is almost always vacant and we have the photos and video footage to prove it. 

Our beach tennis school currently has over 100 regular members who play weekly, plus many more who come to play casually. Our members support local cafés and retail businesses; we participate in charity fundraising and beach cleaning events; and we regularly get members of the community stopping on the benches to have coffee and watch the free sport. We feel our school has added great value to the Collaroy, and in no way prevents anyone else from using and enjoying the beach.
Members of the general public in the Northern Beaches have regularly commented how great it is to see our club in action and how alive and thriving Collaroy feels because of it.

Beach tennis is good for:

·       Fitness and well being

·       Community connection 

·       Mental health 

•      Socialise through physical activity

•      Giving identity to our Collaroy Beach

•      Inclusive of all ages, abilities, genders and backgrounds 

·       Connection with friends, family and children

·       Connection with other organisations (eg. Head Above Water, Surf Life Saving) who use the beach, therefore building a cohesive community of beach users

·       Supporting local charities and environmental work 

·       Supporting local businesses, especially cafes and restaurants 

·       Forging a multi-cultural Australia through sport

·       Learning a language through sport – our members are Australian citizens from all over the world!

Please sign below and add your comments so we can forward them to Council.