Stonnington Council: police remove protesters from meeting over Victorian Tennis Academy lease

Protesters battling Stonnington Council’s decision to shut a popular tennis academy and cafe have vowed to keep fighting after police removed them from last night’s council meeting.

Victorian Tennis Academy chief executive Tina Keown and director Richard Foley are devastated by the council’s decision. Picture: Ian Currie

Protesters disputing Stonnington Council’s decision to shut a popular tennis academy and cafe have vowed to keep fighting after police escorted them from last night’s council meeting.

About 200 people turned up at Malvern Town Hall to hear the council respond to questions about the decision to boot the Victorian Tennis Academy and Cubbyhouse Canteen cafe from Malvern Tennis Centre and Orrong Park Tennis Centre after 18 years.

Protesters told the Stonnington Leader more than 10 police officers arrived to escort councillors from the chamber after yelling broke out from gallery and a crowd locked outside burst into the meeting.

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Protesters chanted “VTA, here to stay” and clapped.

Some called for the councillors to come out and answer questions before police removed the protesters before the meeting continued.

The live stream of the meeting was then shut down.

Protesters Sophie Paterson and Kate Nelson said supporters of the academy became vocal after councillors refused to answer the many questions submitted about the tennis centres, saying it would instead respond to questions within 14 days.

Narelle Thompson at Cubbyhouse Canteen, which has been forced to shut its doors. Picture: David Crosling

The academy has been ordered to vacate the premises to make way for new tenants before January 1.

“We’ve only got 13 days,” Ms Paterson said.

She said residents who submitted questions since the move was announced earlier this month had been told to attend the meeting by letter from the council.

Victorian Tennis Academy also rallied for residents to attend on social media.

Council laughing at us 😡@theage @australian @HeraldSunOnline #vtaheretostay #cubbyhouseheretostay pic.twitter.com/mnrTJikWkJ

— meetoo / Kate Nelson (@meetookids) December 17, 2018

Both women said protesters were further aggravated when only 52 seats were provided for the audience, with the remaining people forced by security to stand outside the chamber.

They said the council was aware a large crowd would attend.

Ms Nelson said those who couldn’t fit in the chamber were told to listen to a speaker in a room away from the meeting, where they could barely hear anything.

Dozens of residents have taken to social media to complain about the actions at the meeting.

“It was extraordinary to watch and pretty disgusting behaviour,” Lucy Cashmore wrote on the VTA Facebook page.

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“Locking people out of the gallery, escorting residents out for voicing their opinions, speaking over fellow councillors. All of it screams bully to me.”

Ms Paterson said the way the entire process had been handled was “beyond belief”.

“It is outrageous (the council) thinks that closing three businesses and putting 40 people out of work with 14 days’ notice at Christmas is OK.”

The council announced earlier this month it would give the tender for Malvern Tennis Centre and Orrong Park Tennis Centre to national leisure company BlueFit as of January 1.

Victorian Tennis Academy has engaged lawyers to explore legal options, including a Supreme Court injunction.

Outraged residents have also started a crowd funding campaign to take legal action against the council, and more than 2500 have signed an online petition to keep the businesses where they are.