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The Chillingham community came out in full force today to celebrate the opening of the recently upgraded tennis court and playground in the Tweed village.
Chillingham Public School children, parents and community leaders attended the official opening to mark the completion of the new facilities, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot MP and Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry.
While most of the project was completed in July, the final touches including line-marking on the courts, was finished last week.
Upgrading of the old tennis courts, which were badly damaged in the 2017 flood, was identified as a high priority project in Council’s Open Space Strategy 2019-2029 and has been designed to appeal to all ages and abilities with equipment for babies, toddlers, juniors, teens and even adults.
The upgraded park is designed to reflect the village's diverse community and integrates the local character of Chillingham and its farming history.
Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot MP said she was delighted to officially open the new tennis court and playground today.
“It’s been wonderful to see the community at Chillingham come together to enjoy this new space today,” Ms Elliot said.
“We were pleased to be able to provide a grant for $270,000 from the Australian Government’s Local Road and Community Infrastructure Program for this upgrade and it was great to see how much this investment means to the local community here.”
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said this new facility was part of Council’s commitment to creating more open, green space for everyone to enjoy.
“This investment in open space will provide social, health and wellbeing benefits for the community for years to come,” Cr Cherry said.
“A big concern for our rural communities in the past has been the lack of quality open spaces and park facilities so being able to provide more options for residents and young families to enjoy is very rewarding.”
Local resident Linda Bright said her son was loving the new play area.
“The park has opened up a whole new world of playtime for the kids – it was so badly needed and is proving to be an absolute hit,” she said.
“It’s really brought the community together, we are thrilled to be part of it. I enjoyed taking a moment to watch the kids play together in a spiritual atmosphere.”
Council received a $270,000 grant from the Australian Government’s Local Road and Community Infrastructure Program to upgrade the park and tennis courts, with Council contributing a further $40,000 to the project.
Find out more about the project and its history at yoursaytweed.com.au/chillingham.
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