An All Ability Bowls program and school and community bowling events are just some of the activities under threat with a proposed rezoning of Gosford City Bowling Club, says Women’s Bowling Club president, Heather McColl.
McColl said a proposal presented to the Central Coast Council meeting on April 27 suggested a rezone of the land on which the club sits from RE1 (Community Sportsground) to B3, B4 or B6 which would allow for a wide range of retail, business, office and entertainment uses.
“In documentation accompanying the proposed rezoning of this land, Council stated that if the land was rezoned, it could be developed ‘to a higher and better use’,” McColl said.
“We are wondering if (former Administrator) Dick Persson or (new Administrator) Rik Hart know what Gosford City Bowling Club is currently being used for.
“No one has approached us to find out how well utilised this community facility is.”
McColl said an outline of the club’s operations during 2019, the last year of full operation (pre-COVID), showed that members don’t just bowl, but provide a valuable community service that would be lost if the land was rezoned.
“Each week in 2019, we provided free activities and tuition for clients of Life Without Barriers, from Gosford and West Gosford, Coastlink, as well as House with No Steps (Currently Aruma),” she said.
“A partnership was established with Vision Australia and we provided lessons, games and interclub competition for our local Vision Impaired community members.
“We continued to provide weekly competition for a group of young men with Down’s syndrome, and intellectual disabilities.
“This has been an ongoing service for the past six years.
“It is a time where the men and their families meet at our club each Wednesday afternoon.
“They play and socialise, while providing support for each other.
“Gosford High School continued to come for weekly sport (40 weeks of the year) and they also came for elective sport classes.
“We also hosted Combined High School sporting events as well as interschool visits.
“Sixty-five local community groups (mostly from local businesses) played barefoot bowls at our club.
McColl said that lawn bowls was played at our club six days per week, for 51 weeks of the year and that programs like the All Ability Bowls program aimed to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.
He said members with restricted licences would have to give up the game that has kept them fit and healthy for many ears if the club were to close and regular Grandparents Days, where members from the club and neighbouring clubs bring their grandchildren to play lawn bowls, could be at risk.
“One of the reasons Council gives for rezoning this precinct is that they want to promote and provide more sporting, community and cultural events and festivals day and night, throughout the year,” she said.
“This goal is being achieved already at our venue without changing the zoning.”
Source:
Media release, May 12
Heather McColl, President, Gosford City Women’s
Bowling Club