Gosford City Bowling Club president Guy Robins has dished out a history lesson to Central Coast Council saying Council needs to get its facts straight.
“This continuous campaign to get rid of the Bowling Greens so this land can be better utilised never ceases to amaze me,” Robins said.
“The Stadium is what it is and, really, short of knocking the whole thing down and starting again you are never going to be able to do anything else with it,” he said.
His comments come in response to Administrator Rik Hart giving Council the green light to proceed with a plan to rezone and reclassify the bowling club land.
Council called the land’s current status “a major hindrance” to the potential of further development of Central Coast Stadium which is right beside the greens.
Council wants “greater opportunities” for the land but it won’t say what these greater opportunities might be.
Robins calls it is a cynical plan to get rid of the bowling club so something else can be built there.
With the bowling club on reclaimed land, he says, developers have access to any amount of land more suited to development.
“Dane Drive is gridlocked from 3.30PM until 5.30PM Monday to Friday and you cannot widen the road,” Robins said.
“If we need a convention centre, which has been suggested, (can I remind people that) the Leagues club had one of those before they turned it into a gym.
“It was called the Regency Room which could hold 1,400 hundred people.”
Robins said when it came to other stadium suggestions such as shopping and food outlets, the council should stop trying to build all over the waterfront but should leave it alone for everyone to enjoy.
He said comments from the Administrator showed he didn’t understand how the bowling club was funded – or how it would be funded if moved.
“The history of this land the bowling club is on should be fully understood,” Robins said.
“One third of the Greens and the Northern Car Park are owned by the Club.
“Two thirds of the Greens and the land the club house is on were owned by the Gosford Bowling Club up until about 1953 when it was given to the Council for the Council to look after for the bowling club members.
“Since that time the club has been paying lease fees for the land given to the council and rates for the land the club still owns, totalling over $10,000 per year.”
He said those amounts are shown in the Central Coast Leagues Club Financial Statements presented to members for consideration at the Annual General Meeting each year.
“The Gosford Bowling Club and the Central Coast Leagues Club amalgamated around 1983 and are governed by one Board of Directors and one management,” Robins said.
“Funding of the bowling greens are crucial to all bowling clubs as they are expensive and bowling clubs can no longer exist just as bowling clubs.
“They can only exist as diversified Community Clubs which is what the Central Coast Leagues Club is, and which includes the Bowling Club.”
Costs for running the bowling club and its greens include the $10,000 for rates and lease, $20,000 for power costs, and maintenance costs.
Prior to COVID, members paid more than $50,000 in green fees and a small profit from the bar covered most maintenance costs, except the maintenance of the greens.
“Before anyone starts talking about moving the bowling club they should explain where the $80,000 for the maintenance of the bowling club greens is going to come from as this is currently paid out of the category 2 grants the Leagues Club has to spend in the community,” Robins said.
“Otherwise, this is just a cynical exercise to get rid of the Bowling Club so something else can be built there.”
Robins said the Bowling Club could not and would not exist away from the Central Coast Leagues.
The Central Coast Leagues Club paid out $372,000.00 to community groups as part of their Category 1,2 & 3 obligations under the Registered Clubs act.
Specifically written into these grants are that maintenance of bowling greens and golf club greens can come out of these grants as they are community assets.
“The amount of money clubs have to spend is based on their profit on poker machines over one million dollars,” Robins said.
“Small clubs who do not make over a million dollars do not pay this tax.
“The Golf Club is one of those clubs and this suggestion to move the bowling club to where the golf club is would be the end of this community asset,” he said.
Robins said statements coming from Council were misguided and not in the best interests of Gosford or the Central Coast.
“The statements are not from an elected Council, but from the unelected Administrator appointed by the State Government,” Robins said.
“It’s time we had an elected Council again with elected representatives that may listen to their constituents.”
Merilyn Vale
Thank you for the information, if the Administrator wants to do something, please fix the Stadium, it is a bloody eyesore. The bowling greens ARE green, always looking good amongst all the rubbish surrounding them. Councils should be severely sanctioned for the damage done to a beautiful waterfront precinct.
The Gosford Bowling Club was a bit of a saviour to me when I found myself pretty isolated after a marriage breakup. I found blokes there that could empathise as they had similar experiences.
When I first arrived at the bowling club I found friendship and support.
And there are bigger support issues that this bowling club provides – days for school groups, all ability bowls and blind bowlers, all with qualified lawn bowls coaches.
These efforts should be applauded rather than dismantled.