Category: Announcements

The committee has received confirmation from the council that we can open our courts for Social Tennis and Coaching under strict conditions.

These conditions are

• There is a maximum of 10 people PER FACILITY as a whole at any one time. It is the club’s responsibility to manage this strict number limit to ensure compliance.
• Pavilions MUST remain closed expect for access to toilet facilities
• No equipment hire or sharing permitted
• Social distancing must be practiced at all times.

As such the committee has made the decision to open the courts at South Morang via Book A Court from 7:00 am Tuesday 20^th October 2020. Limiting all play to singles only

This provides the safeguard of keeping below the maximum 10 people threshold and also maintains a register of the main contact who made the booking for contact tracing purposes.

Our facilities at Mill Park will be used exclusively by our Professional coaches during this time.

During Current COVID-19 restrictions all Bookings must conform to the following as advised from Whittlesea Council.

• Casual play – singles only – maximum two people per court
• Using Sanitiser before and after play (provided inside each gate)
• Tennis equipment must not be shared
• Details of everyone entering a tennis facility must be registered for tracking purposes
• Social Distancing is always to be adhered to.
• No socialising at the courts – arrive, play, go home.

Mr Andrews has declared a ‘state of disaster’ that begins at 6pm on the 2nd August 2020, giving authorities sweeping powers, that includes a nightly curfew for Greater Melbourne from 8pm to 5am.

Under the stage 4 rules for Melbourne, “people will be restricted to their suburbs, and only allowed to leave home if absolutely necessary, with a significant boost to policing to enforce the ban on movements. Only one person will be able to leave the home to buy groceries. People cannot travel more than 5km from their residence. Recreational activities will not be allowed – exercise for no more than an hour, close to home, is permissible. No groups bigger than two will be allowed.”

Until we hear from Tennis Vic and or Council, our venues will remain open with the only restriction of closing off court bookings from 7:30pm to 5am, every day of the week.

When the club receives communication from Tennis Vic and or Council, I will communicate updates.

As per the clubs current constitution, an AGM must be conducted within 5 months of the end of the membership year. However, given the unprecedented COVID-19 situation, prior to the end of the membership year, the club sought an extension of this time frame from Consumer Affairs. I can report that this extension was granted.

Before the reintroduction of Stage 3 COVID-19 restrictions, the club had intended on still holding the AGM at the club rooms. As the COVID-19 restrictions have once again tightened (returning to Stage 3 restrictions), the club will now be looking at conducting the AGM via a video platform.

The committee will be finalising the AGM details at the next committee meeting. So stay tuned for further details.

Once again the committee thank you for your patience and understanding.

Under Stage 3 restrictions, no tennis competition will be allowed to resume.

The six-week lockdown will run past the initial planned start date of 15th August for the Spring 2020 season, meaning that the original plan for the Spring 2020 Season (ten rounds plus finals with six teams per section) is now no longer feasible. The NEJTA is now moving on to their back-up plan: a season which comprises of seven rounds plus finals with eight teams per section. Essentially a half-season where every team plays every other team once followed by a normal finals bracket.

The first round of the Spring 2020 season is now set to Commence on 10 October, provided clubs have been allowed to open and operate by that time.

The NEJTA is committed to trying to run a competition in the latter half of this year if it is at all possible and safe to do so.

With the government announcing the return to Stage 3 restrictions for the next 6 weeks you may be asking how this will impact tennis. Tennis has been identified as one of the sports that can continue however we will need to comply with strict restrictions.

Therefore the following restrictions will apply effective midnight 8th July 2020:

• Casual play – singles only – maximum two people per court. In order to comply with these restrictions, the club can ONLY offer the use of The Lakes, South Morang venue to members and members of the public. All members and members of the public can book these courts using the Book-A-Court system. The Mill Park Members padlock, has been removed from the member entry gate at Mill Park venue
• One to one tennis coaching is okay. This means private and semi-private lessons only (if players are from the same household). Group lessons and Squads are on hold for the first 6 weeks of term 3. For all coaching enquiries please email coaching@vassallotennis.com.au
• Community competition must be cancelled until further notice. All planned senior and junior competition have been put on hold
• All other programmes and activity must cease until further notice
• Tennis equipment must not be shared
• Adhering to physical distancing (1.5m) and hygiene protocols is essential
• No one from outside a lockdown area may play at a facility within the lockdown area – and vice versa
• Details of everyone entering a tennis facility must be registered for tracking purposes. In order to comply, members and members of the public will only have access to South Morang courts via. the Book-A-Court systems to ensure we have a record of who is on site at all times.
• All indoor facilities must remain close including clubhouses/rooms

The Lakes South Morang venue will be monitored by Committee, Council and Police.  Any breaches of restrictions and subsequent fines issued, will be the sole responsibility of individual court booking parties.

If you have any questions please submit all your enquiries via. our Contact page.

On behalf of the entire committee, we thank you all for your patience and understanding.

As of Monday 1^st June, Council have advised that we can now have up to 20 people onsite at the one time.

Whilst the club rooms still remain closed, we no longer need to limit the number of courts available for use.

At Mill Park, the club lock will be placed back on the main entry gate.  All other external gates will have council locks on them.  And all internal locks on gates, will be removed therefore allowing members to use all courts.

The only restriction that still applies for Mill Park is you cannot sit around on the site and socialise.  So this means you cannot sit around the forecourt area for a chat.  At the moment, the courts are only open for playing tennis.

And of course, you must still adhere to social distancing rules.

At The Lakes, all courts will be available via BAC for use.

Again, the committee are very grateful for our members patience and understating with the recent restricted court availability.