The association is set to host an annual shield event in 2016. Four years ago during the same event, visiting players slammed the state of the club’s base at Horsham Showgrounds.

Horsham Rural City Council has confirmed it is waiting on further funding before it can start work on a design and location for a new club centre.

Table tennis association president Jeff Pekin said he and others were annoyed at council’s lack of mobilisation.

“I’m just frustrated and other people are frustrated who want this project to happen,” he said.

“Surely we can make this centre a priority and make a decision.”

Council allocated $40,000 in its 2015-16 budget to get the project off the ground, and is awaiting another sport and recreation grant before it can pursue design plans.

Mayor Heather Phillips said council would not know whether the grant application was successful until late March.

“In order to do the work at the level we think is required, we’re applying for a grant,” she said. 

“There’s no denying table tennis is very high on the priority list and there’s also no denying that the sporting facilities around the municipality are sub-standard.”

Cr Phillips said the sports centre had not been as high on council’s recent priority list as other items.

“Quite honestly, council priorities have been the town hall redevelopment and then after that it’s been the children’s hub in Horsham North,” she said.

Mr Pekin said he was concerned decision would not be made before council went into pre-election caretaker mode before council elections in October.

“If they get the grant and the consultant does all his work, we need council to make a decision on that,” he said.

Cr Phillips said it was important council did everything it could to ensure it was in a strong position to lobby for government funding. “We need to show some fairly good background research,” she said.

Cr Phillips acknowledged the table tennis group’s needs and concerns, but said the four-year cycles of councils meant priorities could sometimes change.

“It’s one of the beats of local government,” she said.