Vision impaired bowlers and other community groups who regularly use the facilities at Gosford Bowling Club will be severely disadvantaged if Central Coast Council reclassifies the site it sits on as proposed.
That was the very clear message to emerge from a meeting held at Erina on May 8, the first of two meetings to discuss the proposed reclassification of 10 parcels of Council land regionwide, with the second meeting held the following night at Wyong.
Council plans to reclassify the bowling club land to make it easier to sell to make way for “future development” of the waterfront precinct.
About 50 people attended, most of them friends of the bowling club, with 20 speaking up to urge Council to keep the site in community hands.
Dawn Moxham was one who spoke.
“It is my fervent hope that this reclassification does not go ahead,” she said.
“To say that the land will be rezoned for a higher purpose is insulting to the people who presently are using it.”
Her thoughts were echoed by another speaker, Jordan, who said Gosford was presently the biggest bowling club for blind and low vision people in Australia.
“Players come for fortnightly bowls days and other events from Epping, St Ives, Morisset, as well as all parts of the Gosford regional area,” he said.
“Research has shown that blind and low vision adults over the age of 65 are in greater danger of social isolation than non-impaired people.”
He said it could not be stated strongly enough how important this safe haven was to visually impaired members.
“Research shows that people over a certain age are more prone to falls and this worsens if their core body strength weakens,” he said.
“Visual impairment exacerbates this.
“Bowling requires balance and levels of mobility and activity which promote this body strength.
“If the present location of the bowling club is lost, it is very possible that this extremely important community hub will be broken up.”
The next speaker, Bill, explained that he was totally blind.
He lives at West Pennant Hills and comes to Gosford Bowling Club every fortnight to play social bowls and to practise for events such as state championships.
“I am able to travel unaided from my home at West Pennant Hills because the Gosford club is so near to the railway station,” Bill said.
“If this land is resumed by Council and the bowling club is closed down, I won’t be able to participate in the social activity which is so important for my physical and mental wellbeing.”
He said he would lose every important social contact he had formed over the past few years.
Another speaker, Margaret, said she knew no-one when she moved from Orange in the Central West 18 months ago after retiring.
“My next door neighbour is a volunteer at the Gosford Vision Australia office and, because I was a teacher of visually impaired children for 15 years, and because I had no friends here I decided to offer to volunteer as well,” Margaret said.
“I was asked to help with the bowling group at Gosford Bowling Club and have been doing this now for 14 months.
“It is such a wonderful group of people – both visually impaired players and the members of the bowling club who offer their time and expertise unstintingly,” she said.
She said she looked forward to the fortnightly social games and had watched the skill levels of the players steadily increase with the corresponding increase in feelings of social confidence and physical fitness.
“I cannot comprehend why Council would consider taking this wonderful resource away from the Central Coast when it is already lacking in sufficient green space,” she said.
Bowler Marc lost his sight in a motocross accident in Western Sydney when he was 14 years old.
He said if the club could not continue in its present location there would be many members who would not be able to attend blind bowls anymore and this would be very sad for all concerned.
“I hope Council reconsiders what they are doing,” he said.
“I also want to say that I’m a proud and committed member of the blind and visually impaired community here on the Central Coast and a volunteer for Gosford Vision Australia who do so much to improve the quality of life for its blind and visually impaired members.”
Gosford City Women’s Bowling Club president Heather McColl, who is also one of the co-ordinators of the all-ability bowls program, said Gosford had the largest group of vision impaired bowlers in any club in Australia.
Also Coastlink, Aruma and Life Without Barriers bring their clients for free weekly bowling activities, she said.
No other club on the Coast has a green that is accessible for standard wheelchairs.
A group of men with Down Syndrome and acquired brain injuries has been coming to the greens for the past eight years to play bowls at no cost.
Eight local high schools use the club for school sport and district competitions and barefoot bowls is offered to local businesses, families and community groups.
Last season more than 1,000 people came to the club to play barefoot football with many of the groups from businesses in the immediate area, McColl said.
A report on both meetings will be tabled at an upcoming Council meeting, possibly in June or July.
Under the Gateway determination from the State Government, which outlines the procedure for the changes, Council has until August to finalise its plans and submit them to the State for approval.
With Council elections due in September, the Council will operate under caretaker mode from August until the elections.
Merilyn Vale