The Ingham Tennis Association has been hit hard by the flooding that has affected much of North Queensland.
Last week, a wall of water ran through the town, affecting many of the 4,500 residents.
Although people’s houses, possessions and lives are the most important elements to focus on, other community infrastructure has been severely damaged.
This includes impact to the town’s tennis association with 12 courts and a long-standing clubhouse.
Vice President Geoff Casanovas spoke to The First Serve about the damage and how swiftly the flooding occurred.
"It happened on the Saturday [February 1], and it just sort of happened so quickly," he explained.
"We've sort of never seen the water come up that quick before."
Many people from the club were personally impacted by the floods, and with Casanovas' own place safe, he was able to check on how the club and courts were holding up.
"I was probably down a couple of different stages trying to keep an eye on things, but it would cut me off a couple of times as the water kept coming," he said.
The courts were severely flooded, with Casanovas posting images and videos to the club’s Facebook page.
Flood water also burst through the clubhouse and other buildings.
"It went through the canteen, it went through the hall, and it went through the toilets," he said.
The courts are located next to a small creek, which the Ingham Tennis Club Vice President explains can pose a threat to the club.
"Sandy's water hole runs behind the tennis courts, and when you get floods, it sort of heads straight for that area there - it flows through there pretty quickly."
Damage and clean up
With the water eventually subsiding, the real work began.
Casanovas and his son volunteered their own time to clean up, as others from the club had to worry about their homes.
"Over three days, we cleaned up all the halls. We haven't touched the courts yet, but we were just cleaning it and cleaning it and cleaning it," Casanovas shared.
"Some of the walls in the clubhouse are damaged, some of the doors are as well, as they swell."
It's not only the building affected, but the flooding impacted the actual courts greatly.
"All our fencing is stretched from the debris pressure and the water pressure," he said.
"There are dark patches on the courts, and I got my keys and I scratched those spots, and the paint’s actually soft. It's coming off as the water's got under it."
Support is needed to fix the club
Casanovas explained that the club has virtually no funds for repairs but does have an election commitment from Premier David Crisafulli.
"We need the government to come on board," he pleaded.
"David Crisafulli made an election commitment to us that they’d upgrade and lift a section of our middle courts.
"We’ve got cracks in our courts, and they weren’t up to standard as it is."
An Instagram post from the Premier from October 2024 does state support for the club.
"The LNP will invest in upgrades so these courts can be safely used after a lack of investment in local sport over many years has left them in poor condition," the post read.
In the meantime, Casanovas is unsure when the club will be able to reopen.
"At the moment, I’m just doing what I can to clear the debris," he said.
"We've got to wait because there’s silt on the courts, and I’ve almost slipped over just walking on them."
He added that Tennis Queensland is offering some assistance.
"They are looking to come up and do a damage report, but we’ve got to try and get government support."
Despite the devastating situation, Casanovas and others will do what they can to get the club back on track.
The First Serve will continue to follow the efforts to pull the Ingham Tennis Association out of its lowest point.
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