Melville Bowling Club to resist City of Melville eviction attempts

MELVILLE Bowling Club will continue to dig in their heels during 2019 despite the City of Melville looking to evict them soon.

The club’s hierarchy announced in August 2018 that it intended to stay at its current site, slated for the proposed wave park.

The decision means that the Mt Pleasant Bowling Club will be the only club moving to a new facility at Tompkins Park, with Melville Bowling Club no longer part of its planning.

President Tim Smith said he knew that the club would be issued an eviction notice soon.

“We will continue to fight and I think there will be some community backlash if the council tries to move us out,” he said.

“The club will look at the possibility of taking legal action and I think there will be adverse publicity for the City, we’ve taken the stance not to roll over.

“We know there is a chance we are going to cease to exist but if we moved then we would no longer to exist anyway.

“Our plans for the year are to re-draft our constitution, put a business plan together and submit an application for the redevelopment of club.”

City of Melville chief executive Marten Tieleman said the Tompkins Park redevelopment project was progressing with a view to commencing construction in mid-2019.

“Under a new management committee, Melville Bowling and Recreation Club advised in September 2018 that they would not be relocating 330 metres to the east to the new Tompkins Park bowls facility once constructed,” he said.

“This has now provided the opportunity for Mt Pleasant Bowling Club to remain as a Club and relocate to the new facilities, and the City continues to progress the redevelopment with the exclusion of the Melville Bowling Club.

“As such, Melville Bowling and Recreation Club will be notified of lease termination and therefore vacation of the current premises when the appropriate time has come, and their members encouraged to join Mt Pleasant Bowling Club.”

Mr Tieleman said the City was disappointed by the position of the club.

“The City understands that this decision by the current management committee has been divisive at the Club itself with pennant bowls players already moving to neighbouring bowling clubs and that next year’s pennant playing numbers maybe the lowest in the history of the Club,” he said.

“This is a decision made by the current Management Committee at Melville Bowling and Recreation Club and the City would welcome discussions if the Club was interested in becoming involved again in the new development at Tompkins Park.

“In the meantime, the City is progressing and continuing to work with Mt Pleasant Bowling Club regarding the new bowling facilities at Tompkins Park, ensuring that we will be able to provide sustainable capacity so that people who want to play bowls can continue to do so for many years.”