Marrara Tennis Court to be fixed

AN attempt will be made to correct the slanted show court at Marrara Tennis Centre by ripping up the painted playing surface and pouring asphalt to make it level

The multi-million dollar Darwin International Tennis Centre which recently opened with the main court that has an extreme slope to the playing surface. Now it will be fixed but who will pay has not been announced

AN attempt will be made to correct the slanted show court at Marrara Tennis Centre by ripping up the painted playing surface and pouring asphalt to make it level.

Aecom, the project manager that provided the specifications that resulted in the concrete slab being poured at a tilt, way outside of International Tennis Federation standards, has declined to say whether it is paying for the rectification work.

“We’re focused on getting it fixed, not the blame,” said an Aecom spokesman, who would not comment on the likely repair costs.

He confirmed: “It is asphalt being added to address the gradient.”

The NT News revealed last year that the centre show court had a more than two per cent gradient — double the mandated guidelines.

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Across the width of the total playing area there is a steep 49.5cm drop, drawing complaints from professionals that it is virtually unplayable.

The company that built the court, Halikos, is not being held to account as it followed the guidelines Aecom provided when pouring the slab.

“Since the issues identified at the Marrara Tennis Centre came to light, which was not as a result of construction, the design team has been working together to devise an appropriate solution and schedule the rectification works,” Aecom said in a statement.

“We now have a team in place and a construction methodology agreed between the designers and Tennis NT.”

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It expected work would start once approvals were given and it was “focused on getting the show court ready for the upcoming Arafura Games” in April.

A spokesman for Tourism and Culture Minister Lauren Moss said the NT Government, which paid $16.7 million for the new tennis centre, would pay nothing towards the repairs.

Tennis NT general manager Sam Gibson, has previously stated that the stuff-up was caused by “an error in the design process”, said the organisation did not expect to pay anything.

“Work will commence soon, weather dependent,” he said.