Kingscliff Tennis Club Pickleball Survey

Project update 6 March 2025

The Kingscliff Tennis Club Pickleball Survey, held from 7 to 28 August 2024, collected feedback from local residents about noise from Pickleball in nearby areas. The survey received 131 responses, with 24 coming from residents living close to the courts. Almost all of these residents reported being affected by the noise due to the courts' proximity to their homes.

Noise impact assessment
An environmental noise assessment was conducted at the Pickleball Courts at Kingscliff Tennis Club. The report, received on 3 July 2024, found that pickleball noise is classified as "highly impulsive" and does not meet the required noise regulations. Even with noise-reducing measures, the noise still exceeds the daytime limits by 14-15 dB. Without mitigation, the noise would require a separation of around 300 meters to meet the standards. After reviewing potential noise control options, staff concluded that any measures would be too costly, risky, and might not effectively reduce the noise.

Community feedback
Community consultation took place from 7 to 28 August 2024, to gather feedback from local residents near the courts. Most residents reported being impacted by the noise due to the close proximity of the pickleball courts to their homes.

The outcome
Pickleball was suspended in August 2024. Tweed Shire Council has informed Kingscliff Tennis Club that pickleball will no longer be played at the facility. Members and casual users who wish to play pickleball will be directed to nearby facilities like Arkinstall Park Regional Tennis Facility or Murwillumbah Tennis Facility. Council will also work with pickleball groups to explore more suitable locations for future facilities.

What's the issue and who is affected?

Pickleball is a new and emerging racket game in the Tweed and one of the fastest-growing racket games in Australia right now. It is a mix of tennis, table tennis and badminton played on a badminton-size court with a paddle and a small, perforated plastic ball.

Some residents living next to Kingscliff Tennis Club are reporting that the game is having a substantial impact on them. Some issues reported by local residents include:

• The continuous paddle and plastic ball popping noise hour after hour is very frustrating.
• Pickleball is affecting their peace and quiet, residents cannot open their windows or enjoy their outdoor space without constant noise from the pickleball games and chatter from the players themselves.
• The constant noise from the paddle and ball is adversely affecting some pets.
• The high-pitched noise from the paddle and ball is affecting some people who wear hearing aids.

Council want to acknowledge that the game of pickleball is not the problem. The problem is the location of the Kingscliff tennis court, which is being used for the purpose of pickleball, and its proximity to residential homes.

What can Council do?

Council commissioned an acoustic consultant to perform a noise impact assessment. The results show that the noise was observed to be intrusive due to the sharp popping noise caused when the paddle strikes the plastic ball. Due to the high noise levels and the close proximity of some local residents, it is unlikely that the use of standard acoustic barriers will fix the problem.

A community meeting on held on 1 August to discuss the issues with locals directly impacted by the noise. As a result of this meeting it was decided to conduct a wider community survey to better understand local experiences and determine viable solutions.

We want to hear from Kingscliff residents living near the Tennis Club

We want to work with residents living near the Kingscliff Tennis Club to find practical solutions to address the impacts of pickleball, which currently takes place 9 hours a day, 7 days a week. To help us understand your experiences please complete this community survey before 4 pm, 28 August 2024.

You can provide feedback in one of the following ways:

• Online by completing this community survey, or
• Email your feedback to tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au Subject: Kingscliff Tennis Club Pickleball Survey, or
• Print a hardcopy survey and return to your local Council office, or
• Mail your feedback to The General Manager, Tweed Shire Council, PO Box 816, Murwillumbah NSW 248

All feedback, including postal or in person, must be received before 4 pm, 28 August 2024 and include your full name and address and contact details. Please indicate if you do not give permission for it to be included in the final report.

What happens next?

All feedback will be reviewed to inform a decision by Council. Follow this project page to receive updates related to this survey.