Struggling club bowled over as council goes ahead with works

Another suburban bowls club will close this month, with the committee revealing a move by Brisbane City Council as the last straw.

Cannon Hill Community Sports and Bowls Club closes on May 27. Picture: Brian Bennion

ANOTHER bowls club will close this month as the struggling Cannon Hill committee reveals their lease will not be renewed.

Cannon Hill Community Sports and Bowls Club chairman Ed Williams said Brisbane City Council, which owns the Lang St site, had advised it would not renew the club’s lease.

Mr Williams said the club had accrued debt which he believed was manageable, but council was going ahead with $200-300,000 works to the clubhouse to comply with fire regulations and expected the club to foot the bill.

“Our advice was we could trade through the debt but a couple of weeks back we heard from council that we had to pay back the bill for these renovations,” Mr Williams said. “That was the nail in the coffin.”

A Council spokeswoman however said they were contacted by the club to advise that they would cease trading from May 27.

The spokeswoman said Council was now considering future options for the Cannon Hill site.

Groundskeeper Paul McLellan and club members Mick Watson and Ken Morrison at Cannon Hill Bowls Club are gutted by their club closing. Picture: Brian Bennion

“Community organisations are the heart and soul of our local suburbs and Council is committed to working with local groups to support them through grants, training and support services,” she said.

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The bowls club was established in 1966 in the peaceful back streets of Cannon Hill boasting two natural turf greens and has a two storey clubhouse..

State Member for Bulimba Di Farmer, the club’s patron, said it was the heart and soul of the community.

“Unfortunately it is the way of a number of bowls clubs. We really need a new model. You have volunteers having to manage a commercial facility,” she said.

Mr Williams said the men’s club hoped to play the Bulimba Cup on May 25 as their final farewell.

He said there would be no merger for the players with another club. The land is zoned Sport and Recreation and Mr Williams hoped another organisation could tender for a joint lease with the men’s club.

GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP IN

COUNCIL has to do more to keep struggling community sports clubs open.

That is the opinion of Councillor Kara Cook (Morningside) and members and staff from Cannon Hills Bowls and Community Club.

Cr Cook said she was aware the club had been struggling and was working with the club along with Member for Bulimba Di Farmer to keep the doors open.

“It’s extremely disappointing to see the closure of another community hub, not just for the bowlers but for the broader Cannon Hill community,” Cr Cook said.

“There is a trend across Brisbane where community clubs run by volunteers are struggling. Council must do more to support them.

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“I will fight to keep this site as a community asset. We do not want to see these sites sold by the LNP Council nor left vacant when we have a wait list of groups seeking space.”

Club groundskeeper Paul McLellan and members Mick Watson and Ken Morrison said the soul was being ripped out of the area with social hubs like Cannon Hill Bowls and Morningside RSL closing and governments had to work harder to ensure green space and social clubs remained viable.