The ACT government has walked away from its pledge to provide space for fencing and table tennis at the redeveloped Lyneham indoor sports centre.
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The two sports will be moved to the new multi-use facility in Greenway, leaving the Lyneham centre for the exclusive use of Tennis ACT, which has been given $4 million in government funding for its redevelopment.
But the director of the former National Indoor Cricket Centre, which hosted its last match at the old Lyneham centre last year and has no space in the new facility, says the exclusion of table tennis and fencing means the development no longer meets its requirements for government funding.
A grant deed from the ACT government to Tennis ACT says space at the new facility must be given to the two sports. It states that Tennis ACT must make available ''approximately 250 square metres of space for table tennis facilities, allowing for five tables to be permanently set up'' as well as ''approximately 250 square metres of space for the establishment of a base for fencing in the ACT''.
Steve Berg, director of the former indoor cricket centre, said the exclusion of table tennis and fencing from the development application meant the design did not meet the funding requirements.
''I'm disappointed that not only was our lease terminated but two other local sporting branches have been denied what they were promised and is in the funding agreement,'' Mr Berg said. ''The government committed money. It's in writing that they've committed to it and they've walked away from it.''
A spokesman for Sports Minister Andrew Barr said table tennis and fencing could not be incorporated into the design for the redevelopment of the Lyneham centre.
But the spokesman said alternative sites for the two sports, which use a number of facilities in the territory, were being considered.
''Table tennis and fencing will be utilising the $2.1 million multi-use facility in Greenway that is nearing completion,'' he said. ''The ACT government recently provided Table Tennis ACT with some new equipment to help with the fit-out.
"The ACT government is also undertaking a feasibility study and site selection for a new indoor sports facility on the northside. Table tennis and fencing will be considered as part of this work.''
