Eddie McGuire’s tennis ace sister takes on neighbours in tennis court tussle
After a turf war erupted in leafy Hawthorn over a patch of perfect lawn, owned by Eddie McGuire’s tennis ace sister, Brigette, the battle ended up at VCAT.
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Eddie McGuire’s tennis ace sister has been caught up in a turf war over a patch of perfect lawn at her Hawthorn home.
Brigette McGuire, a sports marketing specialist, has faced accusations from angry neighbours that a $50,000 patch of levelled lawn is the covert beginnings of an illuminated tennis court.
But the former junior tennis champion, once branded the sport’s most powerful woman for her work with the Australian Open, maintains it’s merely a garden renovation.
Victoria’s planning tribunal and Boroondara Council this month backed her.
Neighbours Geoff Sneath and Bridget King had taken Ms McGuire to task over the lawn, arguing it was “Stage 1” of a tennis court which did not have approval.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard the landscaping works, completed in February last year, included clearing all vegetation except for a peppercorn tree.
The backyard was levelled, underground drainage installed and a 100mm layer of fine sand laid on a clay base with Santa Ana couch turf on top.
But with no line markings, nets, boundary fencing or lights the tribunal ruled there was insufficient evidence the lawn was the beginning of a private tennis court.
“I find the works were carried out for the purpose of private open space,’’ tribunal member Geoffrey Code noted.
“The completed works have the overall appearance of a flat lawn area.”
Ms McGuire originally applied to build an illuminated tennis court on the property but withdrew the plans.
While she could not rule out further works in the future to “use, construct or illuminate a private tennis court” this was not her immediate intention, the tribunal found.
Ms McGuire did not respond to a request from the Sunday Herald Sun for comment.
Attempts to contact Mr Sneath and Mrs King were unsuccessful.
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