The "focal point" of the Talgarno community is being progressively redeveloped, and funding for the revival of tennis courts has been welcomed as a key step.
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The Talgarno Recreation Reserve committee of management and Towong Council have been successful in their $212,000 grant application to the state government's local sport and infrastructure fund.
Combined with $96,000 from council and $10,000 from community groups, the project will include two synthetic grass tennis courts, two multi-function courts and upgrades to fencing, lighting and shelters.
Committee of management president David Cottee said the current courts used by two senior and two junior teams were deteriorating and did not meet the mark for last year's grand finals.
"I moved here in 2000 and the hall had already been refurbished in the 1990s, and that was all based on community funding," he said.
"We've since laid concrete on a gravel surface, but it's just not living up to what current expectations are in terms of performance and safety."
The committee of management was unsuccessful in receiving pick my project funding last year, but there remains an aim to turn the area - shared by the hall, CFA, Taekwondo Club and Talgarno primary school - into a space for the community and tourists.
"Talgarno doesn't have a lot other than this area here," Mr Cottee said.
"We were fortunate to get the playground done last year.
"We'd like to have a barbecue shelter and a fire pit in a break-out area, and some formalised parking and drainage.
"We've already seen people stopping to use the playground."
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Mayor David Wortmann believed the project had received funding because of the community's efforts.
"A lot of good work was done on the masterplan," he said.
"From a shire perspective, this is the Great River Road, our tourist drive, and with these upgraded facilities, that adds to it."
There has also been strong demand for more night activity and summer training camps for kids, which were interrupted this year.
The Talgarno Rural Fire Brigade contributed to the huge effort in the Upper Murray fires and warnings were issued for the area; thankfully, the community infrastructure was unaffected.
Mr Cottee said there were now challenges for the community in COVID-19 and he hoped the recreation reserve redevelopment could forge ahead without too many complications.
"It's something we've been looking forward to," he said.
