Council intervenes with reprieve for bowling club

Central Coast Council has offered a six-month seasonal booking to Gosford Community Bowling Club to give the club the opportunity to keep on bowling.

The offer gives the bowlers some breathing space to shore up its future.

It may result in a direct lease with Council after six months.

Parent club, Central Coast Leagues Club (CCLC) wanted the bowling club to vacate later this month so it could hand over vacant premises to Council early in March.

CCLC had decided it no longer wanted to renew the current lease for the site in Dane Dr, Gosford.

It has also sold off the bowlers’ carpark, leaving them no car access.

Mayor Lawrie McKinna said that over the next six months the bowling club would have the opportunity to develop a business plan and funding models which they could present to Council for consideration.

If a satisfactory model is developed Council will consider entering into a direct lease with the bowling club.

“We are really pleased to be able to offer this opportunity to Gosford Community Bowling Club – as we know how important the club is to its members,” McKinna said.

“We recognise that the club felt it didn’t have any options, but after councillors visited the site, and Council spoke to club members, Council decided to help.

“The club has many challenges to face, including access, equipment, capital and a viable operating model – and Council’s offer will give them time to explore this.”

Until last week, the club was known as Gosford City Bowling Club and it had been one of many sub clubs under CCLC.

But CCLC told members last week it was no longer interested in subsidising the bowling club.

Since then, members have incorporated and renamed themselves Gosford Community Bowling Club.

A bowling club spokesperson said it was the start of a whole new chapter.

“We are all very happy that Central Coast Council has offered us a chance to continue bowling at our site,” the spokesperson said.

“A big thanks to the Mayor Lawrie McKinna, staff David Palmer, Chris Barrett, and councillors Belinda Neal, Jane Smith and Margot Castles for going that extra yard to help us out.”

The bowlers said they were grateful for the support that CCLC had given them over the years, but now it was time to stand on their own feet. 

“Will it be easy? Not at all! Will it make us stronger? Hopefully,” the spokesperson said.

“Thank you to all the clubs and bowlers on the Coast that have sent us messages of support.

“It means a lot to us. As we move forward we are hoping that when the keys are handed over to us that the club will look and feel the same way it does now. 

“Will we have the equipment we will need to operate? Hopefully CCLC will be kind to us.”

Until recently the bowling club had been expecting that CCLC would sign a five year lease on their behalf with Council.

Long term, the Council has plans for the bowling club land to be reclassified and sold to developers.

It earmarked a hotel as an example of a better use for the site in its waterfront activation plans which the State Government has handed on to the Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation.

The Gosford Erina Business Chamber has been critical of the lack of action on those plans for the future of the waterfront and has called for a local development corporation focused solely on the Coast.

Merilyn Vale