North Manly Bowling Club set for shock closure at the end of the month
After 67 years, North Manly bowling club will close its doors, with uncertainty of the site’s future blamed by new owners Manly Leagues Club as the main reason.
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NORTH Manly Bowling Club will close its doors at the end of this month, with uncertainty of the site’s future blamed by new owners Manly Leagues Club as the main reason.
It follows a Northern Beaches Council decision to negotiate for a tender of the District Park plan of management with developers Arena REIT and ClubLinks — which runs Moore Park Golf Course — to control the area.
The 62ha District Park site in Manly Vale is between Condamine St and Pittwater Rd. It includes North Manly Bowling Club, and 18-hole golf course, Warringah Recreation Centre, rugby league and futsal facilities.
North Manly bowling club was taken over by Manly Leagues Club in April last year. It had been active for 67 years, with about 100 bowlers roughly split down the middle between men and women.
In a statement, Manly Leagues Club said it had planned to invest $8 million in the upgrade and development of the site on the basis that the lease would be extended to 20-plus years.
“With this assurance not forthcoming Manly Leagues Club were left with no alternative than to cease operating at the conclusion of the current lease,” it said.
Manly Leagues Club chairman Ian Thomson spoke with North Manly Bowling Club members on Saturday to explain why the club couldn’t continue trading.
In the meeting he said the bowling club had been suffering from trading losses over the past few years and continued to do so in the 16 months of operation since amalgamation. He said due to the uncertainty surrounding the site there had been declining trade and membership.
The ageing facility- high costs of maintenance and repairs make a short-term lease (12 months) unviable.
Mr Thomson said the decision was emotionally tough.
“We had hoped to be able to rebuild and grow on the site,” he said. “Unfortunately that pathway has been closed and we were left with no alternative but to take the action we have in the circumstances presented to us.
“We will do everything we can to ensure they are welcomed at other bowling clubs in the vicinity.”
Mayor Michael Regan said there would be bowling facilities as part of the preferred tender, which is still being negotiated.
“The Leagues Club’s submission didn’t get up,” he said. “It was always a risk as noted in their own AGM when they merged with the bowling club that they may not get the lease as the entire site was going out for expressions of interest.”
