Floods force Creswick Bowling Club to move sites

By Ben Preiss
Updated November 2 2012 - 3:54pm, first published March 3 2011 - 1:12pm
NOT AGAIN: Creswick Bowling Club president Barry Yates inspects the damage after last month's deluge
NOT AGAIN: Creswick Bowling Club president Barry Yates inspects the damage after last month's deluge

THE Creswick Bowling Club is preparing to move to a new site after its greens were flooded three times since September. A majority of club members endorsed the decision to move at a meeting on Wednesday night.The club will most likely move in to the Doug Lindsay Recreation Reserve which it will share with other sporting clubs.Club president Barry Yates said the majority of the bowling club members supported the decision although there was some opposition to moving.The Hepburn Shire Council will need to formally approve the decision although it had previously approached the club about moving to the Doug Lindsay Recreation Reserve."Twelve months ago roughly we declined the offer to move there," Mr Yates said."We didn't think it would be viable for us at the time but since then we've had three floods."Mr Yates said the club had secured $600,000 in state government funding which it could put towards building new bowling greens and club facilities. He did not expect sharing facilities with other clubs would be problematic.“There are some successful clubs in the Ballarat region that are sharing at the moment and we don’t see any problems with it.”Mr Yates said the club was more than 150 years old and had been based at its current home “for decades”.Creswick Ward Councillor Janine Booth said the reserve would include two bowling greens and a pavilion which would enable the club to play indoor bowls.“The long-term planning for Doug Lindsay has always included provision for the bowling club to move there,” she said.Cr Booth said the bowling club would share the reserve with Creswick’s netball and soccer clubs while the football club is expected to move in next year.Cr Booth expected funding allocated by the state government combined with an insurance payout and fundraising would cover the cost of building the new facilities.“We’ll be working very closely with them (bowling club) over the next few weeks to cost out what their vision is ... and then match that vision to the available funds.” She hoped the bowling club could move into the reserve within the next 18 months.

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