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Canning and District Bowling Club: Clubs WA comes out in support as president makes impassioned plea to Canning council

Emma GearyCanning Gazette

CLUBS WA has come out in support of Canning and District Bowling Club’s ongoing struggle for survival.

In a letter to City of Canning councillors, Clubs WA chief executive officer Karen Giles said the bowling club was operating within its constitution namely to foster the game of lawn bowls and to promote social and recreational fellowship among members.

“With 329 members at the Canning Bowling Club, it is clear that they are servicing the needs of all their members in their hub of the City of Canning community,” he said.

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Club executive president Linda-Marie Landers delivered a detailed and impassioned plea to councillors last week to save the club from receiving a notice to vacate its George Street West premises.

The club could be homeless by June 30 if councillors pass an item at this week’s council meeting, recommending the City serve a notice on the club to vacate the premises.

Ms Landers outlined the many benefits the club provided to its members and to the wider community.

She said between 400 and 500 people used the club facilities each week.

“We have been a home to the Canning City Lions for approximately 20 years and they meet twice monthly,” she said.

“Southern District Little Athletics Association uses the venue for their meetings and a group of students from Curtin University are there weekly to participate in computer activities.

“Pool, darts and line dancing are additional activities undertaken by members and these are integral to the club as they afford social interaction and continuous use during the bowls off season.”

In addition to the social and sporting activities, Ms Landers said the club’s volunteer training program received support from local high school students who learned valuable workplace skills.

“Some of our successes have gone on to catering in the Australian army corp, are managers at the Balmoral Hotel and the Mt Henry Tavern and one is an apprentice to Neil Perry at Rockpool.”

Ms Landers dismissed assertions that club facilities were falling down as “grossly exaggerated”.

“There are some cosmetic changes that could be commenced immediately and implemented at our cost such as internal and external painting that will visually improve the building,” she said.

City officers estimated the cost of short-term repairs to the facilities to be $540,000 with the cost to demolish the facilities to be $130,000.

A report to council stated many of the facility components were at the end of their useful life.

Canning chief executive Arthur Kyron said the facility needed some significant injections of funds or it needed to be demolished.

Ms Landers asked the City to consider allocating a percentage of the money it was prepared to spend on demolishing club facilities to improving the buildings.

During question time at last week’s council briefing meeting, Mayor Paul Ng scolded Mason Ward councillor Jesse Jacobs after he queried whether there was a public perception that Canning’s two other bowling clubs – Willetton Bowling Club and Rossmoyne Bowling Club – received different treatment because they were located in more affluent suburbs.

“As a councillor, I need to listen to people and this (issue) was something that was definitely raised with me,” he said.

“I think there may be some validity to the fact that we reward the very wealthy suburbs and we punish the less wealthy suburbs sometimes.”

While Cr Jacobs’ question was met with cheers from the public gallery, Cr Ng said he thought the statements were divisive and uncalled for.

“The council here acts fairly and not based on social economy – just remember that,” he said.