Woollahra Council bid to take over Paddington Bowling Club from Jon Adgemis
Woollahra Council is launching a renewed bid to take over the management of the idle Paddington Bowling Club site as social distancing throws the dearth of public green space in the east into sharp focus. FIND OUT MORE
Wentworth Courier
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Woollahra Council is launching a renewed bid to take over the management of the idle Paddington Bowling Club site as social distancing throws the dearth of public green space in the east into sharp focus.
The Crown Lands site at Trumper Park is the subject of a decade long saga which saw businessman Jon Adgemis’ company Quarry St Ltd granted a 50 year lease which states it must be used for public recreation.
However so far he has done nothing at all with the now fenced off land.
Last year the Wentworth Courier revealed former training partner of Arnold Shwarzenegger, Paul Graham, was storing his gym equipment in the old clubhouse in return for acting as a caretaker.
Mr Adgemis did not respond to a request for comment by the Wentworth Courier about his plans for the site, for which he pays the NSW government more than $66,000 in rent a year, nor did he clarify if Mr Graham was still the caretaker.
However the basic maintenance appears to be upkept on the parcel of land which has sat dormant since the club closed in 2015.
Councillors unanimously voted at the recent meeting to support a motion by Cr Harriet Price “to immediately explore further opportunities with officers of Crown Lands and the lessee (including but not limited to) taking over the lease and return the dormant site to public hands”.
Cr Price and Sydney state Independent MP Alex Greenwich are also seeking a meeting with Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes to further discussions.
“COVID-19 has brought into sharp focus the value of public open space more than ever,” Cr Price said.
“Rob Stokes recently expressed an interest in supporting local opportunities for the creation of greater public open spaces.
“The Minister’s announcement and the current COVID-19 climate presents an excellent opportunity to reignite and focus attention on returning this dormant site to public hands.”
Meanwhile Mr Greenwich has submitted questions in state parliament to the minister responsible for Crown Lands, Melinda Pavey, about what actions she would take to ensure the lease conditions of the site being used for public recreation were fulfilled.
“This site should never have been given to a private entity the way it was,” Mr Greenwich said.
“I would call on Mr Adgemis to work with Woollahra council and the NSW government to return this site to public open space rather than have it fenced up and inactive.”
The Wentworth Courier can confirm no development application has been lodged for the site.