Concerns for small groups as YMCA takes over bowls club

Council has handed the lease for a struggling bowls club over to the YMCA after the club could not pay for major renovations to the clubhouse to meet fire regulations.

Former club secretary Ronnie Rorsch and club chairman Ed Williams pictured at Cannon Hill Bowls Club in May as the club was forced to close. Picture: AAP/Renae Droop

THE YMCA has been handed the lease for the Cannon Hill bowls club grounds.

The bowls club was forced to close when Brisbane City Council, which owns the Lang St site, demanded the struggling club pay $200-300,000 for works to the clubhouse to comply with fire regulations.

The bowls club closed in May, ending 50 years of bowls in the suburb.

The YMCA did not return calls from The South-East Advertiser yesterday.

Morningside Councillor Kara Cook said she would seek talks with YMCA Brisbane to hear the community group’s plans for the site.

“The community lost a great little hub when the bowls club closed, so I will be interested to hear YMCA Brisbane’s plans,” Cr Cook said.

She congratulated YMCA Brisbane, which she said had a strong record of enriching communities.

But she was concerned smaller organisations were losing the race for space.

Cr Cook said selection criteria for the four-year lease included “willingness to share with other community organisations” and she was keen to hear YMCA Brisbane’s plans.

“I’m worried smaller local groups are finding it difficult to compete against the larger not-for-profits and I’d hate to see them squeezed out,” Cr Cook said.

She said that with bowls clubs closing at Toowong, Cannon Hill and Moorooka this year, it was obvious more needed to be done before clubs reached a critical state.

“These assets can make a community so we need to take a broader look at preserving as many as possible to ensure we can maintain a strong sense of community into the future,” Cr Cook said.

“We also need to investigate having more community centres, where small clubs can get rooms to suit their needs.”