Fitzroy Victoria Bowling club hit with ‘absurd’ $59,900 rent hike by Yarra City Council

A senior official described the increase as not only “unbelievable” but “absurd”, revealing those at the popular bowls club never imagined they would be charged so much.

The Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club is next to Edinburgh Gardens. Picture: Facebook

A popular bowls club in Melbourne has seen its rent skyrocket from $100 to $60,000 per year after it had to strike a new agreement with Yarra City Council.

The Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club on Brunswick St, next to Edinburgh Gardens, recently signed a new lease after its 21-year “peppercorn” agreement came to an end.

But the club, which leases Crown land from the council, entered into negotiations last year which resulted in the council fixing the yearly rent at $60,000.

The future of the club is now under a cloud with a senior official describing the increase as not only “unbelievable” but “absurd”.

They told the Herald Sun the club would have been happy to pay up to $20,000, recognising that the days of the nominal $100 lease fee were over, but was not prepared for a huge hit.

“Up until now the club has been making profits,” they said.

But the official said the club made a “significant” loss last financial year, which more members would become aware of at the club’s AGM in coming days.

The Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club was formed in 2001. Picture: Facebook

The Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club was formed in 2001 – the year the “peppercorn” agreement was signed – through the merger of two of Australia’s oldest lawn bowling clubs: Victoria (1876) and North Fitzroy/Fitzroy (1877).

According to its website, it is one of the nation’s “most proactive, community-focused clubs”, shared between members, corporate clients, barefoot bowlers, schools and charitable community organisations.

A Yarra City Council spokeswoman said the new rental agreement struck with the club was “benchmarked against similar hospitality venues in the area and the club’s for profit operations”.

The Herald Sun understands that the council has attended in recent weeks to assess the roof of the clubhouse, which it may repair using some of the money.

Fitzroy was awarded the Clubs Victoria Clubs of the Year award in 2016.

The increase is the latest blow to community sporting clubs in the City of Yarra.

Yarra independent councillor Stephen Jolly said the lease hike was “unbelievable”.

“This is an impossible action, even by the standards of Yarra,” Mr Jolly said.

“We should be supporting sports clubs, not pushing them over the edge.”

The bowls club’s rooms and lawns are next to Brunswick St Oval, which has had a planned redevelopment stalled by the council.

Anthony Albanese during a visit to the Fitzroy bowls club with Labor candidate Cath Bowtell in 2013.

The state government gave Yarra City Council more than $12m over six years to build a permanent home for the Fitzroy Junior FC, Fitzroy Football Club and Edinburgh Cricket Club at the oval but no progress has been made on the project.

The Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club was contacted for comment.