Melbourne tennis club will take battle with Stonnington Council to Supreme Court over home ground relocation

A Melbourne tennis club ranked in the state’s top five is considering a Supreme Court injunction against a local council decision to strip them of their home of 18 years.

A Melbourne tennis club ranked in the state’s top five is considering a Supreme Court injunction against a local council decision to strip them of their home of 18 years. Picture: Ian Currie

A Melbourne tennis club ranked in the state’s top five is considering a Supreme Court injunction against a local council decision to strip them of their home of 18 years.

Lawyers for Victorian Tennis Academy are exploring legal options to stop Stonnington Council handing control of its two Melbourne sites to a rival leisure company amid conflict of interest claims.

Outraged residents have also started a crowd funding campaign to take legal action against the council, protesting a decision that will also force closure of a child-friendly Armadale cafe.

Legal letters sent to the council on behalf of the academy claim a tender for Orrong Park and Malvern Tennis Centres was “flawed’’ and breached the Local Government Act.

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The academy is demanding a new tender process instead of the leases to its two tennis sites being handed to leisure company Blue Fit Pty Ltd.

And its lawyers have threatened a courtroom showdown unless the council resets the tender.

“We will seek our client’s instructions to make an immediate application to the Supreme Court of Victoria for injunctive relief,’’ they said.

Supporters of the academy say the council should face scrutiny for awarding the tender to a company whose head of tennis coaching is a close friend of a Stonnington executive.

The council confirmed Stonnington Planning and Amenity general manager Stuart Draffin was acting chief executive when the tender was awarded to a company that hired one of his friends as coach.

But Stonnington chief executive Warren Roberts said there was “no basis to any claims or suggestions that Mr Draffin had a conflict of interest’’.

“Mr Draffin was not involved at any stage in the tender process or assessment, nor does he have any authority in this matter,’’ he said.

“As the process is confidential, he was unaware of any of the tenderers until after the decision had been made and BlueFit had been appointed.’’

More than 250 people this week attended a protest against the decision and more are expected at a council meeting on Monday night.

Academy member Sophie Patterson said locals wanted a probe into the tender process and the academy to continue running the venues.

“The community are so outraged we have set up a crowd funding campaign for litigation against the council,’’ she said.

But Mr Roberts said the council “carried out a considered and objective evaluation of submissions’’ and the process had been assessed by legal counsel to ensure the process was sound.

“Council does not repeat or reset the tender process because an unsuccessful party is unhappy with the outcome,’’ he said.

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