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“They’ve actually got the site sheds on the ground… oh my god.”

Michelle Martin laughs as she describes driving past the muddy North Manly lot where three long‑closed squash courts are finally being rebuilt!

Michelle Martin at a dinner table shrugs playfully behind a birthday cake covered in lit candles; warm indoor lighting, wine glass and bottle nearby. — Michelle Martin preparing to celebrate the opening of the courts at North Manly (Northern Beaches).

The Site: North Manly (Northern Beaches)

A rare council‑site squash facility, long closed, is being rebuilt “like‑for‑like” (still only three courts) using funding NSW Squash helped identify. It’s a lifeline—but not enough to run school programs efficiently.

“You get 20 kids down there… there’s not enough courts… they just walk out the door,” Martin says.

Roots Squash in Australia

Australia’s squash boom was built by families like hers who constructed courts on private land—a business model that worked until ageing buildings and thin margins caught up.

“In Australia, we don’t have [many] facilities on council property… we’ve always had privately owned courts,” she says.

When advocates approach councils, the answer too often is: “Squash is dying.” Martin’s rejoinder: “Of course it’s dying; there are no facilities.”

That private model also locked owners out of public grants to refurbish tired venues.

“Because it’s a private business, they cannot apply for government funding to upgrade… the buildings are old… it costs a lot of money to do anything,”

Martin explains. A vicious circle followed: shabby venues deter newcomers; dwindling demand then “proves” to councils that squash isn’t worth space in community hubs.

Where the wins are coming from

The way through, Martin argues, is to place squash inside multi‑sport, council‑owned complexes—and to get there by speaking the language of government.

“They wouldn’t communicate directly with individuals like myself… they would only directly work with New South Wales Squash,” she recalls of a western Sydney push that ultimately convinced councils to add courts to multi‑sport centres—a slow grind, but “a great win.”

Another Project in the pipeline

Willoughby (North Shore):

An eight‑ or nine‑court private centre where Martin trained sits on coveted real estate.

With the owner seeking to retire, locals and MPs are lobbying council to purchase it as a community racquet hub instead of letting it convert to childcare.

“There’s a big council multi‑sport complex just down the road,” Martin notes. The fit is obvious; the decision, uncertain.

The political reality: federations must lead

One more lesson from Martin’s advocacy: councils prefer dealing with recognised sporting bodies, not individuals. The Western Sydney wins came only after efforts were channelled through New South Wales Squash, aligning the pitch with government processes.

“We… worked together with New South Wales Squash… to get the Council to this point,” she says.

That makes Squash Australia and state/territory associations pivotal. Their remit must expand from calendars and high‑performance to infrastructure development and policy engagement: preparing evidence‑based business cases, bundling squash into multi‑sport bids, and aligning with Play Well outcomes around health, inclusion and cost‑effective activation of public spaces (AusPlay full report introduction).

As Martin puts it, “To get funding or [build] facilities… it all has to happen at the top.”

A champion’s bar for success

Martin has stepped back from “sitting at those tables,” but not from the cause. She still donates time—coaching, mentoring, chivvying officials on better marketing—and she still carries a racket to council meetings. (“I said, ‘I’m here to make a racket,’ and started swinging my racket,” she laughs.)

The measure of success, in her view, isn’t medals alone. It’s kids hearing the thwack of a ball in their local centre after school; parents squeezing in a social hit after work; older adults staying active with a friendly round‑robin…