Warringah Bowling Club issued warning after noise complaints about trivia nights, meat raffles

A Mosman bowling club has hit back after fed up residents complained of noise, including the sound of trivia nights, jumping castles and barefoot bowls events.

The club has operated for more than 70 years.

A Mosman bowling club has been issued a formal warning after local residents complained of noise, including the sound of trivia nights, jumping castles and barefoot bowls events.

Warringah Bowling Club was this week issued the warning by Liquor and Gaming NSW in response to a series of noise gripes from residents living within earshot of the venue.

The bowling club has been trading in Mosman for the last 76 years and has a restaurant, bar, bowling greens and function facilities.

Liarne Peek, the general manager of the venue, said the club had “bent over backwards” to try to keep noise from the venue to a minimum – even taking the recent step of banning supervised children from the bowling greens.

The joint complaint by three residents to Liquor and Gaming claimed disturbances have included patron noise, anti-social behaviour, yelling, cheering, children throwing rubbish into nearby homes, drinking contests, and foul language.

A photo of the venue.

Some residents claimed the noise from events such as trivia nights and live music bands was so loud they could understand trivia questions from inside their homes.

Locals also took aim at jumping castles which they said were regularly placed in the club’s car park during functions – causing noise nuisances for up to eight hours when in use.

The venue was issued the warning by Liquor and Gaming on Monday.

The lead complainant said the club often hosted large outdoor functions which resulted in disturbances and scenes which resembled “a noisy beer garden”.

The complaints also centred on music which residents claimed was “broadcast” into surrounding units, typically on weekends.

There were also complaints of unsupervised children playing in the bowling club’s carpark.

The club – in response to the complaints – told Liquor and Gaming it had put in place various noise mitigation measures in place to address disturbance including acoustic screens and signs warning patrons that anti-social behaviour “isn’t tolerated”.

The club has operated for more than 70 years.

It has also stopped children playing on the lower bowling green, with youngsters instead confined to a small area to allow for adult supervision

Ms Peek said events at the club, including trivia nights, ensured the venue remained profitable.

“Some of the complaints are really unwarranted – for instance, I’ve had a resident complain about the noise of meat raffles,” she said.

“They’ve moved into an area knowing there’s a bowling club here – and it’s not like we’re running a nightclub.

“At the end of the day bowling clubs have had to diversify and without the events we offer we wouldn’t be able to stay afloat.”

A photo of the venue.

The residents called on Liquor and Gaming to impose strict conditions on the venue including functions only be held indoors, limiting the hours for outdoor events and increasing security patrols.

But the club opposed the measures, saying restrictions would be “unreasonably draconian”.

Liquor and Gaming NSW director of regulatory operations and enforcement Jane Lin found the venue at times had “disturbed the quiet and good order of the neighbourhood”, however rejected calls to impose conditions restricting the use of the bowling green.

Ms Lin said issuing the venue a formal warning would provide the club with an opportunity to implement further mitigation measures.

“While there has been undue disturbance at times from the use of the outdoor pavilion, the club has implemented a number of mitigating measures to address and improve the management of disturbance,” she said. “I am encouraged by the voluntary steps adopted by the club and I am of the view that this has had, and will continue to have, a positive effect in mitigating the club’s noise impact.”

The club’s submission to Liquor Gaming also states its live music offerings were assisted by the Great Southern Nights, a NSW Government initiative to encourage the return of live music to licensed premises throughout the state.